


A Deathless Love

by romabeachgirl



Category: Gone With the Wind - All Media Types, Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
Genre: Angst and Romance, Canon Continuation, Drama, F/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:02:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 117,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22605937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romabeachgirl/pseuds/romabeachgirl
Summary: After Melanie’s death, both Rhett and Scarlett make unexpected choices, with one crucial matter to consider: "But Scarlett, did it ever occur to you that even the most deathless love can wear out?" (MM, LXIII, GWtW)
Relationships: Rhett Butler/Scarlett O'Hara
Comments: 177
Kudos: 151





	1. Broken Fragments

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine. Without Margaret Mitchell, this work would not exist. I do not own any part of Gone With The Wind, and no money is being made from this story.
> 
> For MF: You taught me about love and survival. You will be greatly missed.

**Part One**

_“Life’s under no obligation to give us what we expect. We take what we get and are thankful it’s no worse than it is.” (Margaret Mitchell, Chapter 53, Gone With the Wind)_

**September 1873, Atlanta, Georgia**

_“Scarlett silently watched him go up the stairs, feeling that she would strangle at the pain in her throat. With the sound of his feet dying away in the upper hall was dying the last thing in the world that mattered." (Margaret Mitchell, Chapter 63, Gone With the Wind)_

Her legs felt weak, and almost without realizing how she managed it, Scarlett sank into the nearest chair in the dimly lit but ornately decorated dining room. Jumbled thoughts rushed through her mind, and she did not know how many minutes had passed when she was suddenly startled out of her reverie by the sound of the clock chiming a new hour. Her eyes had not left the stairs, but she could barely make out the individual steps.

So much had happened in such a short time.

Scarlett had rushed from Melanie and Ashley’s pitiful little home to the opulent mansion that Rhett had built her with a single-minded purpose: to inform her husband exactly how much she loved him. Kisses and caresses and a night of passion with Rhett in her bed are what Scarlett envisioned as she ran through the swirling mist that had enveloped the streets of Atlanta. Scarlett would have finally and gladly swallowed her pride, knowing that her husband did indeed love her and had for years. Precisely when she finally realized that she loved Rhett, Scarlett did not know, but she knew what she felt for the man she was married to. She loved him and probably had for some time.

Instead, Rhett had cruelly informed her that his love had worn out and that he was leaving her. He had not even allowed her to tell him how she felt. Scarlett had been willing to humble herself at his feet, but Rhett had been steadfast in his refusal to listen. There had been understanding in his black eyes, Scarlett recalled, but exhaustion was the only emotion he could muster.

When Rhett had left her bereft and crying in the dining room, Scarlett had a distinct impression that he had wanted their conversation to be over. He was finished with her, and their life in Atlanta. Rhett had spoken of grace and charm and other things that Scarlett had faintly paid heed to. She had watched him walk up the stairs, carelessly throwing her declaration of love aside like a soiled handkerchief.

In the moments that followed, Scarlett considered her next move: Tara and the beautiful red earth that had often strengthened her loomed large in her thoughts. Yes, she could return to Tara. Her childhood home and adult refuge would provide her with the time and space to heal and regroup. The crisp autumn country breezes and wide-open spaces would mend her heart. She could walk the fields and listen to the birds chirping, uninterrupted by the sounds of daily life in Atlanta. The raw beauty of the Georgia countryside would act as a salve to the pain that Scarlett was sure would come.

Mammy was at Tara and had been since after Bonnie’s death. Mammy would hold her in her arms and soothe her with her wisdom. The wizened lady would know precisely what Scarlett could do to get Rhett back. Mammy always knew how to make things right. As a little girl, Scarlett had often turned to Mammy, not her mother, for comfort when she skinned her knees playing with the county boys or when things had not gone her way. The woman’s recent absence had been intensely felt. A few minutes with Mammy would allow Scarlett to plot her next move.

As Scarlett thought of Tara, something unsettled her. The man, whose visits during the war had compromised her position in society and who had encouraged her to act against the tenets taught to her by her mother and Mammy, had taken no responsibility for his actions. Rhett’s words and tone spoke of a man who held himself above reproach. Scarlett tried to think back to the words he had warily spoken to her, and as she tried to put together the puzzle that had been left at her feet, she began to feel a very familiar sensation: annoyance.

She shook her head, and the dullness that Scarlett had initially felt as she watched him walk up the stairs finally gave way to a wave of acute anger.

Rhett had blamed her for not calling for him as she lay thrashing in pain after her fall down the stairs and subsequent miscarriage. He had wanted her to meet him halfway after the incident at the mills. The blame for his relationship with Belle was laid solely at her feet. He had spoken of doing everything possible to convince her that they belonged together.

As Scarlett quickly replayed their conversation, what was becoming increasingly clear was that Rhett had only spoken of what he wanted and what he was willing to do. Rhett had often accused her of being selfish and single-minded in her thoughts and actions, but how were his actions any different?

Rhett had tried to make it sound like the blame lay entirely with her, and while she had been far from a perfect wife, flashes of his mistakes flashed in Scarlett’s mind: a soiled handkerchief, a discarded sign, cruel, hurtful words and countless looks of indifference. Rhett’s list of crimes and omissions was just as long, if not longer, than hers. And somehow, she was sitting here feeling that she was to blame for all that had gone wrong.

Scarlett would not deny that, in hindsight, she had made mistakes, but so had Rhett. Hadn’t he willingly married her, knowing that she didn’t love him? Scarlett had never been able to hide her infatuation with Ashley from Rhett, so Rhett had always known. Why did she suddenly feel that he believed himself to be the victim of a loveless marriage?

Thinking back to their conversation, Scarlett got the distinct impression that she had been lectured to just like Rhett spoke to the children. What she had mistaken for truth was surely Rhett’s attempt to manipulate her. At first, she had been startled that Rhett would pick this night of all nights, to announce his departure and the end of their marriage. But now Scarlett understood his motivation. Rhett hadn’t wanted to deal with an outburst. He had wanted to make his exit without being challenged. The suddenness of Melanie’s death should have provided the perfect cover for him to make his departure.

Rhett’s arrogance and self-assurance were hardly shocking; they were both typical traits that she had lived with for so long.

Rhett had expected her to take the news of his departure quietly and he had anticipated that she would remain silent and wait for him to come back to keep the gossip down, just as he had promised, but for the first time in a long time, Scarlett felt like sparring with him. She had rarely won their verbal battles during the twelve years of their acquaintance and had long ago given up engaging in these frustrating spats with him. There was no point. Somehow or other, Rhett always seemed to come out as the clear winner with an arrogant smirk on his triumphant face. In the early years of their marriage, she had never backed away from an argument, but once she realized that she would never win against this proud and smug man, Scarlett had decided it wasn’t worth her energy.

Tonight was a different matter altogether. Her dearest friend and protector had departed this earth, leaving her alone to face whatever troubles life threw at her. Melly would not be there to help ward off the blows or quietly put the pieces back together. There would be no more modest suggestions or bold actions from her one true friend. Scarlett chastised herself for not realizing how important Melanie Wilkes had become to her. Scarlett felt so very alone and afraid.

Scarlett raised her eyes and glared towards the stairs. She would not beg Rhett to stay, nor would she grovel at his feet like she had minutes before, but she was also not ready to give her husband the satisfaction of having the last word. Rhett may not change his mind, but she would make him listen to her. If there was no chance of saving their marriage, she had nothing to lose by confronting him. Scarlett could not wait for tomorrow to consider her options. This philosophy had worked for her in the past, and in her troubled state, it was the first thought that entered her mind. And for the first time in her life, Scarlett realized that her old mantra was actually a hindrance to her.

Scarlett knew that what needed to be said between her and Rhett couldn’t wait for tomorrow. If she waited, she was confident that she would not be able to reverse the outcome of the evening. Two men would be lost to her: one that she thought she loved and one that she would never get the opportunity to love. Rhett was everything Ashley wasn't: powerful, determined, and unyielding. Like Ashley, however, Rhett was now a dream she could never attain. Melanie had stood between her and Ashley. Rhett’s insistence on the demise of their marriage now stood between what Scarlett wanted most: her husband.

The irony was that Rhett was leaving her so she could be with Ashley now. Scarlett's emotions over her childhood friend and fantasy were still conflicted in her tired mind. The Ashley that she had just left was weak and heartbroken. If Scarlett were honest with herself, she would add a coward to the list. Ashley had known for years that he loved Melly and not Scarlett, but had kept that information to himself, thus prolonging the unhappiness that had swirled around the two couples. With a few words, Ashley would have crushed Scarlett's heart and, at the same time, freed her from her childish obsession.

Now it was too late.

Scarlett had realized, some time ago, that she didn’t want Ashley. Since the afternoon of the incident at the sawmills, when India and Archie had walked in on two friends reminiscing, she had begun to hate and pity Ashley for his weakness and his lies. Ashley Wilkes was not the perfect gentleman she had created in her mind since the age of fourteen. He was a coward. Tonight's revelations had proven it. Scarlett, in the two years since, had thought of him less, and she certainly did not want him now.

She wanted Rhett, and her husband had told her that she couldn’t have him.

Well, she would show Rhett. There had been only one thing in life that she thought she wanted and hadn’t been able to attain: Ashley. That was probably for the best as she now realized how truly spineless the man was and how incompatible the two of them were. Rhett had been right all those years ago. She and Rhett were alike and did belong together.

Tonight had also brought certain revelations. For the first time in almost twelve years, Scarlett knew precisely what her husband was thinking. There was no question that Rhett believed their marriage was over. The words he had spoken to her in the very dining in which she sat paralyzed still rang in her ears:

_“Mine wore out.”_

_“My dear, I don’t give a damn.”_

As dense as her husband accused her of being, even Scarlett recognized the seemingly unwavering conviction in his words. While their conversation had lacked warmth, there was no hint of Rhett’s usual sarcasm or cruelty. For the first time in possibly their entire relationship, Scarlett knew that Rhett had told her the truth. His mask had finally given way.

But his truth was only one version of it.

Bonnie’s tragic death, despite Rhett’s insistence, had not been the last thread holding their marriage together. In hindsight, maybe she shouldn’t have brought up having more children to Rhett earlier in the evening. Rhett had recoiled, like a man stung by a wasp, at the words that Scarlett imagined would bring them closer together. Those had been the wrong words to utter. Did she even mean to say them?

_“I’ll not risk my heart a third time.”_

Bonnie had been one, of that Scarlett was sure. Rhett's love for their little girl had, at times, infuriated Scarlett and produced unexplainable jealousy. Scarlett did not like playing second fiddle to anyone, not even her daughter.

Had she been the first risk, Scarlett wondered? Rhett was so vague in his statements sometimes. Scarlett would think about that later, she decided. The more pressing matter before Scarlett was for her to figure out a way to change his mind. If Rhett were leaving, she would not chase him, but perhaps she could convince him to stay. Then everything could go back to normal, and they could figure out how to live together as husband and wife.

Somehow, Scarlett already knew Rhett would fight her with every fiber of resistance he possessed.

Her anger flared once again, and before she could talk herself out of it, Scarlett squared her shoulders and walked towards the stairs. As noiselessly as possible, she ascended the carpeted stairs and proceeded down the long hallway towards Rhett’s bedroom.

When she reached his room, Scarlett stood in the wide-open doorway, looking into Rhett's darkened room. Her husband had not closed the door or even locked it after his retreat upstairs. Scarlett leaned her body against the doorframe in her fatigue. She was heartbroken at the news of Melly's death and exhausted from the frantic trip into Atlanta. It had only been a few hours since she had left Melly’s deathbed, but it felt much, much longer. This scene was not how she envisioned her evening unfolding, especially after her final conversation with her dying sister in law.

The room was dark and oppressive. Scarlett stood watching Rhett, who had either not noticed her presence in the doorway or was doggedly ignoring her. The air was heavy with the scent of her husband’s tobacco and something uniquely Rhett. She could see the outline of him as he sat on the edge of the bed. Rhett was slightly slumped over, with both hands on his knees. Scarlett ached to touch him and hold him in her arms.

But something held her back, and Scarlett did not move.

Rhett’s handkerchief was still clutched in her hands. Scarlett had an acute awareness of her physical state. She breathed deeply. The dullness that had permeated her body earlier had given way to sharp pain. The intense pain had slowly become an ache. As she watched her husband, she imagined that he must be feeling much the same as she did, but she couldn’t keep silent.

“God’s nightgown! Rhett Butler, don’t you dare try to blame me for this marriage being over!”

The statement, clear and unemotional, flew from her mouth without hesitation. There was no trace of desperation or ferocity in her tone. When Rhett’s black, vacant stare met hers, she knew her declaration had hit its mark. Her husband had not expected this. He had not expected her to fight back or challenge his decision. In his supreme arrogance, Rhett had presumed that she would surrender to his wishes, and he could peacefully leave their house of horror.

Tonight, however, something stirred in her, and her fighting spirit was no longer dormant. In that instant, their previous relationship shattered, and they both realized, as was evident by the look they quietly exchanged, that nothing would ever be the same. The rules of their association, their marriage, had been altered.

Scarlett had changed them.

Rhett sat immobile on the edge of the bed. For some time, all he had been able to do was sit in the near darkness of his room and take stock of the situation. A single candle lit the room; it flickered and ricocheted eerie images against the wall. How had he arrived here? A loveless marriage to the only woman he had ever loved. Rhett suddenly realized that he couldn’t spend another evening in this house. He could not envision another sleepless night laying in a bed with his indifferent and unavailable wife on the other side of the hallway. A door that had been unlocked and ajar for quite some time. Scarlett’s naive attempts to lure him back to her bed had not gone unnoticed. But he would be damned if he was going to be drawn into Scarlett's web once again.

Rhett hurt. Everything hurt. His head was pounding, and he felt his equilibrium shift. Bonnie’s bed was still in his room, not that he’d slept there often since the little girl's death. Rhett could still picture his daughter’s body in her tiny bed. More often than not, in the few weeks since the accident, he found himself waking at Belle’s, morosely drunk. He was always alone for the very idea of sleeping with one or all of Belle's girls held no appeal. Belle’s charms had diminished long ago. Rhett hadn’t said as much to Belle, but he could read Belle’s unspoken thoughts almost as quickly as he could Scarlett. Belle knew that his attraction to her had waned.

The other patrons and even some of Belle's girls eyed him with open sympathy for the loss of his daughter Bonnie, but no one admonished him for spending his days and nights in a whore house. Everyone, including Belle, steered clear of him except to ensure he ended up in his room at the end of the night when he was too drunk to stand. But even Rhett knew he was waking up in the wrong house and the wrong bed. There was no need for Belle or anyone else to tell him where he should be. However, knowing and rectifying his error were two conflicting ideas.

Then, unexpectedly, just as Scarlett had decided to take the children to Marietta, Belle had sent him away, requesting he go home to his wife. Rhett never quite understood that. He didn’t want to. It wasn’t going to bring Bonnie back, and he wasn’t sure if he could survive in Scarlett’s house of horror much longer. Everything in it reminded him of the little girl he had killed. Rhett imagined he could hear Bonnie's laughter or the patter of her feet in the nursery. Some mornings Rhett was further saddened by the reality that he had woken up yet again — another day without her.

Running his hands through his close-cropped hair several times in quick succession, a clear sign of his uncertainty, Rhett lifted his head once more to stare at his wife, who stood watching him quietly from the doorway.

“I thought you understood that this conversation was finished, Scarlett. I said everything that I had to say downstairs. Please leave me in peace.” When Rhett spoke, his words came out more like a snarl. He didn’t want to be doing this now. He wanted peace to process the finality of his farce of a marriage. A sham mainly of his own making Rhett realized. Before looking at the thin, frail woman in front of him became too much for him to bear, Rhett shifted his focus to a point on the wall where shadows danced eerily on the surface.

“How long, Rhett?” Scarlett's question was a whisper.

“How long, what?” he sighed. Evidently, he had not made his wishes evident to his wife.

“When did you decide to leave?”

“Scarlett. Please stop,” he begged.

“No. I have a right to know. You said you intended to tell me when I came home from Marietta. That means that you’ve been thinking about it for some time. Before Bonnie? After Bonnie?"

Rhett could not deal with Scarlett's insistence tonight. Why couldn’t she leave him alone to grieve for Miss Melly and their marriage?

“It doesn’t matter, Scarlett.” Rhett could hear her intake of breath. He didn’t want to hurt her any more than he already had. Why couldn’t she leave him alone?

Very slowly, Scarlett moved from the door, and with each stride towards him, Rhett sensed that she was trying to take charge of the situation. He watched her pause abruptly, close her eyes, take in a deep breath of stale air, before sitting gingerly beside him. He tried to stop himself, but Rhett felt himself shrink away from her. A touch might crush his resolve to leave.

“It does, Rhett. Why do you get to make all the decisions? You’ve decided this marriage is over. You’ve decided that you want to leave. You did everything you could to get me to love you. All I’ve heard is you, you, you. What about me? What about what I might want?” Scarlett spoke her last words so quietly that Rhett had to strain to hear her. She tentatively reached across her lap for his hand, and he was surprised when he didn’t snatch it away. “I’m sorry, Rhett. I know I can be a good wife to you if you let me try.”

"Scarlett.” Her name punctuated the silence. “I have nothing left to say to you, and I have no intention of listening to any of your empty declarations. It’s too late for us.”

“But I love you, Rhett. I know this is love now.” He watched her as she used his handkerchief to wipe the tears that threatened to fall. Where they even real tears, or was this a trick to manipulate him into staying? “Why won’t you let me prove to you that I don’t love him.”

“I can’t.”

Scarlett's words were sincere, but Rhett couldn't stop the look of pity that crossed his face. He couldn't let her words pierce the shield around his heart.

“Rhett. Please,” she pleaded, squeezing his hand in hers. Scarlett's eyes shimmered with tears, and he looked away before her honesty became his undoing.

“No, Scarlett. You still don’t understand. I don’t want you to prove to me that you don’t love Ashley.” Rhett exhaled, his voice was calm when he continued. “I needed you to prove to me that you loved me. Wanted me. Not him. Do I believe you when you said you loved me earlier this evening? Yes. I believed you just now, but I don’t care anymore. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“I don’t want Ashley, Rhett. You must believe me,” Scarlett insisted.

“I thought that hearing you say that you loved me would be enough,” Rhett mumbled, “but it isn’t anymore. I’m tired of your lies, and I'm through with pretending that I don't care. I never thought that I’d allow another person to cause me this much pain. But there you have it, and now you have another beau to add to your list.”

“I don’t understand, Rhett. If I love you surely-”

“I’m not surprised to hear that you don’t understand me, Scarlett. You never have. But I think that even you can understand my next words. This marriage is killing me. I’m slowing dying being here with you. I don’t want to be married to you anymore. Can you understand that?”

Rhett stood, letting her hand, which had been pressed around his, fall to the bed. He walked purposefully to the window. Even though the darkness and fog enveloped the house, he scanned the yard.

“I know that you love me, Rhett, despite what you said earlier.”

“It doesn’t matter, my pet.” Rhett exhaled deeply. “I’m willing to admit that we did this to each other, Scarlett. I understand that more clearly now. We both did things and said things to hurt each other. Neither one of us ever really listened to what the other was saying. We seem to be falling into the same pattern tonight.”

“Rhett, if we are to blame, then we should also be able to fix the problem.”

“This is too hard. Too much work. Love shouldn’t be this hard, Scarlett.”

“You can believe that if you want Rhett and you can tell yourself that you don’t care, but you’re not fooling me. Do you believe that there is someone out there that can love you more than I can?”

“Sometimes, love just isn’t enough.” Slowly, Rhett turned to look at her. He searched her face for a sign of her understanding. “There are consequences, Scarlett. There are consequences to how you treat people. And yours is that I don’t love you anymore.”

Rhett watched her intently and could almost see her thoughts racing as her features shifted.

“What about the children? What do I tell the children?" Scarlett's voice was suddenly frantic. Had either of them considered what this would do to Wade and Ella? They would return to Atlanta to find their beloved aunt dead, and the only father either of them had known, gone. Could he do that to his step-children? To save himself, Rhett would have to sacrifice his love for Wade and Ella.

“Tell them the truth, Scarlett. Tell Wade and Ella that I love them.” Rhett walked over to the bed and reaching down, took her smaller hand in his. “I hadn’t planned to leave right away, but I see now that it’s better if I go tonight. I regret not being here for Melly’s burial, but I can’t do this. Any of this. I don’t want to fight with you anymore. I’m tired of all of this.”

Though the room was dimly lit, Rhett could see tears falling freely down her cheeks. Scarlett was looking at him with a pleading look in her eyes. He could feel her firm, warm grasp of his hand. If he didn’t let go now, he might never leave. Already he wanted to reach out to her and wipe the tears from her cheeks. But that one, intimate touch might break him.

“Try to be happy, Scarlett.” Rhett gently placed her hand on her lap. “You still have Wade and Ella. Love them. Let them love you. You deserve to be loved. There is no weakness or cowardice in that.” His next words caught in his throat. The very thought caused his heart to seize as if someone was squeezing the life out of it. “Maybe one day you’ll be able to let someone into your life and let them love you.”

The room filled with silence.

In the semi-darkness, Rhett looked into her eyes one last time and then picked up his coat and walked past her and into the hallway. He had to leave. There was no other option. She was a child and would never change. He had watched how she looked at him intently as if she was trying to memorize the way he looked so that upon his departure, she would be able to pull out the memories and play them in her mind. Rhett could see she was fighting some inner demons. He would not be there to witness the outcome.

Scarlett, still sitting on Rhett's bed, heard his muted footsteps on the stairs, and then his heavy tread faded. With every word he had uttered, a piece of her heart had broken. Then he had just walked away from her, from their marriage, from their life. Despite wanting to curl up on his bed, Scarlett found that she couldn’t move. All she could do was replay the events of that day over and over again in her mind. What could she have said differently? What were the right words to speak to a man that you had inadvertently hurt, but who was also the one person who could cure the empty feeling in your heart?

She had lost. She had broken the man she loved, and now he was lost to her. She didn’t know how to fix this situation, or if it could even be mended. Scarlett wanted to cry out in frustration, but she knew she wasn’t the only one to blame.

They had both had a hand in throwing it all away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll apologize beforehand for the extended author's note.
> 
> I know of no other book that has cast a spell on so many people, myself included. The ending of GWTW can, at different times and readings, make us feel smug or righteous or satisfied. I always felt a little disappointed. “After all, tomorrow is another day” allowed me to think that the impossible was, in fact, possible. There are so many unanswered questions in the final chapter, and this is one possibility of Rhett and Scarlett’s journey.
> 
> This story began with a question: Why didn’t Scarlett “fight” back during her marriage to Rhett, but especially on that final night? Was it the unexpectedness of the conversation? Was it the shock of Melly’s death? Was it that Scarlett was worn down by seemingly never winning an argument during her marriage to Rhett? Scarlett is a fighter until that last chapter.
> 
> I always thought Rhett misread Scarlett's intentions in the last chapter and walked away too quickly. For someone who claims to know Scarlett so well, he doesn't know her, as he shows throughout the novel. Melly also tells Scarlett that she knows Scarlett better than anyone. Who truly knows Scarlett?
> 
> Also, what's up with Marietta? Did Rhett send Scarlett off knowing that he would leave? Was he planning on being gone before she came home? Why was he still in Atlanta when Melanie fell ill? Something doesn't add up. 
> 
> Lastly, this story will be mostly book-based, and not movie based, which I feel does a disservice to MM’s masterpiece, especially Rhett walking away into the mist. The resemblance to any of the authorized “novels” (published fanfics in my opinion) written by authors other than MM is purely coincidental.
> 
> I owe a special thank you to Truckee Gal on the other site for her encouragement to stop dawdling and keep writing.


	2. You Want To Go Where???

Rhett walked briskly past his wife, fighting every urge to lash out at her in anger - or pin her against the wall or throw her to the bed as he had on that wild night so long ago. He tried to curb his emotions, but all he truly wanted to do was reach out to her.

His words to his wife earlier that evening had been hollow; he still loved her, but for some perverse reason, he and Scarlett were always at cross purposes. If he didn't get out of the house and away from her, he might never leave, and if Rhett was sure of anything, it was that he had to put some distance between the two of them. There had been a few moments when he had almost changed his mind about leaving since Scarlett had followed him up the stairs. If he stayed, they would slowly kill each other.

It was a miracle that they hadn't in the twelve years they had known each other.

Scarlett was angry, and she was hurt. Rhett smirked, as he reckoned that only now, with Melly dead, did his wife finally realize that Melanie Wilkes was the best, most loyal friend she had ever had. Even he, in the height of their relationship after she had married Frank, had not treated and defended Scarlett as Melanie had. What a fool his wife was!

When Scarlett was Mrs. Frank Kennedy, Rhett had long been in love with her, and it had nearly destroyed him to know that she was married and carrying another man's child. Visions of her sleeping beside her second husband or that oaf enjoying her supple body had driven Rhett to drink himself to near-oblivion many nights. Thinking about it now, all these years later still maddened him.

Escorting her back and forth to the mills, past Shantytown had been just as much about Scarlett's safety, as it had been about his sanity. Frank Kennedy had been a fool not to protect Scarlett, and it ultimately cost him his life. Rhett had done what any man who was in love would do. Scarlett had never thought to consider the motivation behind his actions.

Melanie, on the other hand, seemed to genuinely love her friend, no matter what stories abounded or whether Scarlett treated her poorly. Scarlett did not understand how to treat people and often took them for granted. Melanie was one such example. Melly had stood staunchly behind Scarlett after the disaster on Ashley's birthday when the Old Guard had wanted to crucify her. A division of Atlanta society had been started by Melly when she refused to believe India, Archie, or Mrs. Elsing's accusations of impropriety between Scarlett and Ashley. Rhett wondered if Scarlett knew or fully appreciated just what Melanie had done on her behalf. Melanie's steadfast but misplaced loyalty to Scarlett had set in motion a divide that might take generations to heal.

Rhett quickly tried to push all thoughts of Ashley aside; Scarlett would never go to Ashley - not now. She may have been tempted during the war and after they married, but for some time, Rhett had noticed a difference in his wife's demeanor when she was forced to interact with her wooden headed knight. Rhett had never fully understood Scarlett's obsession with her foolish childhood crush, but Rhett was confident that in his absence, she would not run to the new widow. It was only out of habit that he had thrown the accusations at his wife. If Scarlett hadn't already realized the truth about Ashley Wilkes, she soon would. The man was an albatross around any woman's neck.

At the bottom of the stairs, Rhett flinched. Was it possible that Scarlett finally loved him? He had waited for over a dozen years for his wife to realize that she loved him, but Rhett wondered if he had dreamed her confession. Those were definitely not the words he expected to hear from Scarlett's lips tonight, especially now that her unrequited love was available. Rhett shook his head to try to clear the ringing in his ears. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he was struggling to shake away the gnawing fear that he was doing precisely what he had accused his wife of only hours earlier: throwing away love with both hands. Rhett felt a heady mixture of fear and excitement and dread.

Without any further delay, Rhett walked down the corridor towards the rear of the house. As he opened the back door, darkness enveloped him like the thick velvet curtains his wife favored. Rhett allowed his eyes to adjust to the night before stepping outside of the house for the final time. He let his eyes wander from the carriage house across the manicured lawns to the spot where his Bonnie had died. Even in the darkness, Rhett could picture the events of that day clearly. A swirl of blue velvet. A loud cracking noise. A deafening gunshot. He doubted his ability ever to forget those moments which had been repeated in both his waking moments and restless sleep.

Rhett walked briskly towards the servant's house, where he was sure Pork had retreated to. Knocking softly on the door, Rhett frowned, remembering how often he had pounded on this door recently. In his drunken state after Bonnie's death, he had been unable most nights to get himself into bed without Pork's assistance.

"Pork?"

"Yes, sir?" Rhett heard the shuffling of feet, and the creak of the floorboards as Pork made his way to the door. Given the events of the last few hours, Rhett guessed that Pork was startled at this incursion into the servant's quarters.

"I need your assistance. Could you pack up my belongings and have them shipped to Charleston sometime this week?" Rhett sighed, noticing the unmistakable look of understanding that crossed Pork's face. Usually, Pork was able to keep his expression neutral. It was not a servant's place to judge the lives and inner workings of the Butler marriage, but in this unguarded moment, Rhett sensed Pork's disapproval. "Right now, though, I need the carriage to take me to the train station. If I hurry, I may be able to catch the last train out tonight."

"Yes, sir. Right away."

Pork hurried past him on his way to the carriage house. Rhett stood outside the servant's house, realizing that his options were virtually non-existent. He had not planned on leaving Atlanta right away or at all. Following Scarlett's outburst, there was no way Rhett could imagine another night spent under the same roof with his wife, which meant that he would be unable to remain in town for Melanie's funeral.

Scarlett had forced his hand, and now there was nothing to be done but for Rhett to flee once again. Regret over missing Melly's burial loomed large and Rhett could think of no alternative.

Though he had lived in or spent considerable time in Atlanta over the last dozen years, Rhett had nowhere to go, and there was no one he could turn to. His behavior and treatment of people meant that every house, save his own, was closed to him. The Old Guard, while sympathetic to him over the loss of his daughter, was unlikely to open their homes to him. Besides Belle, who obviously didn't count, he had no friends in Atlanta. People would gossip about his abrupt departure, but eventually, in a few months, everyone would forget about him.

Rhett fought the urge to go to Belle's place. Appearing on her doorstep would only lead to a night of drinking and whoring, and that was the farthest thing from what he wanted. While Scarlett and the children had been in Marietta, he had finally sobered up. Hell, Belle had even kicked him out of her place when he had gotten so drunk and belligerent that other customers had begun to complain. The fact that he had helped set up her business meant nothing to the whore. Even Belle had turned on him in the end.

Rhett laughed bitterly at his words to his wife only hours before. Both Scarlett and Belle had turned out to be rather bad investments. There was no way he would admit that to either woman.

When asked, Rhett had smoothly lied to his wife. He hadn't exactly planned on leaving his wife or Atlanta. If a painless departure had been his goal, he would have been gone as soon as her train departed towards Marietta. His empty words were issued to protect himself and hurt Scarlett in the process. It was a childish and thoughtless reaction, and Rhett was mortified that he had chosen the occasion of Melanie Wilkes' death to speak his peace finally.

As he walked along the path towards the front of the house to wait for the carriage, Rhett's eyes wandered to Scarlett's window. Hers was black, which meant she was probably still sitting in his former room. He gazed up at the sky, which was cloudless now that the light rain and mist had cleared, to look at the twinkling stars that were visible. As a blockade runner, he had spent many nights staring at them in the hopes that their spectacle would distract him from the memory of green eyes that haunted him. Maybe one day, they would.

Perhaps one day green would represent the color of grass or seaweed and not remind him of his wife's stunning eyes.

Standing in front of the house, Rhett exhaled deeply. It looked forlorn and abandoned. Why had he ever let Scarlett talk him into building it? It was horrific, but it had so excited his new bride that Rhett had simply washed his hands of it. The library had been his and only his. And his bedroom after he had been banished from her bed. The rest of the looming monstrosity reminded him of a gaudy whorehouse. Even Belle's place was more tastefully decorated.

Rhett listened as the carriage came around and halted in front of him. Climbing in, he rested his weary head against the plush upholstery. Part of him, as the carriage slowly began moving through the streets of Atlanta towards the train station, was surprised that Scarlett had not run from the house to stop him from leaving. She had finally listened to him.

As he watched the dark houses illuminated only by the lights in the window, Rhett grew angry with himself. He had not meant to say anything to Scarlett that night. Rhett could see, from the moment she walked in the door of their home, that she was emotionally vulnerable. Scarlett's closest, probably only friend, had died, and he had been a cad to announce his intention to depart and his feelings at a moment when Scarlett could not or would not fight him wholeheartedly.

His speech had been an attempt to preempt his wife's request for the dissolution of their marriage. Much of what he said had been uttered because he expected no argument from his Scarlett.

Had he meant what he said to her? Some of it was true. A lot of it wasn't if Rhett was honest with himself. He knew he was capable of cruelty when it came to his wife. For the longest time, that had been his pattern in dealing with her apparent lack of feelings for him. It had become second nature to strike back at her. There had, at one time, also been an element of arousal in sparking her anger.

What sort of pandora's box had he inadvertently opened by saying he would come back to avoid the gossip? He was done with her, and then in the next breath, Rhett knew that it wasn't entirely true. If it were, he would never have uttered those words of hope, that he knew she would be obsessively pondering right now: keep the gossip down. Scarlett was like a bloodhound when she wanted something, and Rhett had made himself her prey. He should have kept his mouth shut and been as cruel as he could be with her. He should have burned every hope just as Sherman had done almost a decade before. But unlike Sherman, Rhett had inadvertently left open the door for his return. Life with Scarlett had become psychological warfare, and tonight he had shown her the weaknesses in his armor.

Rhett still wasn't able to process whether he was surprised by Scarlett's stunning declaration or not. That damn stupid woman had to blather on about Melly telling her that he loved her. Rhett wondered for a moment whether Scarlett would have realized it on her own had Melly, in her dying moments, not said anything. Would Scarlett have let him walk out the door had Melly not interfered? No, he doubted that Scarlett would have come to a conclusion on her own.

But Scarlett was too late in figuring out her own feelings, and Rhett wasn't sure if he quite believed her. At the moment, he was too scared and had still not come to grips with the loss of Bonnie. He couldn't deal with Bonnie's death and the guilt over his responsibility in the matter and deal with Scarlett's feelings for him. He was not going to get his hopes up. He didn't trust himself to believe that she loved him. And he would be damned if he was going to become an obsession just like Ashley Wilkes. Unlike that coward, Rhett did not require being adored by a woman.

Bonnie's death had not changed everything, but there was no way in hell he would allow his wife to discover that. He had told Scarlett maliciously that his love had worn out. Had his love for his wife died? No. Not in that moment but with enough distance and time away from his heartless wife, Rhett imagined it could. He had always maintained that Scarlett's love for Ashley was obsessive, but was his love for Scarlett any different? He had chased her when there was no hope of obtaining her, and once they were married, he had clung to the stubborn hope that one day his wife would return his feelings. Perhaps just as quickly as Scarlett's feelings for Ashley had evaporated, his would as well, and then he'd be able to breathe without feeling intense pain.

What a fucking liar I am, Rhett thought to himself. He would have left a lot sooner had he not been in love with Scarlett. He had told his wife that he had done everything to save their marriage; even that was a lie. Since Bonnie had been born, Rhett had worried little about the woman he claimed to love. If he couldn't have her, he would love their daughter to distraction instead.

He had married Scarlett, knowing his wife was in love with another man, but he had been convinced that he would change her. A honeymoon in New Orleans, a monstrosity of a home, jewelry, lavish gowns, and free reign with his ill-gotten gains had done little to win Scarlett over. He could have any woman he wanted, but for some reason, the only one he loved was immune to his charms and his money.

Rhett knew he was a liar and a coward. He had thrown the suggestion of a divorce at his wife before Scarlett could ask for one. He accused her of being a child and yet had just acted in the same way. Forty-five and she was making him act like a virginal schoolboy.

The simple truth was that he had fucked up. Scarlett's declaration of love had spurred him to talk, and now Rhett could hardly remember much of what he had said to his wife. What other blunders had he uttered? Fleeing up the stairs had been a ploy to allow him to regroup. But the damn woman had followed him. He had been trying to push her away, but even as the words slipped out of his mouth, Rhett knew he couldn't cut himself off from Scarlett - not wholly. Offering to come back to keep the gossip down was foremost so that he could have some excuse to see her again. He could spend a few months abroad, return to Atlanta, and if she was pining away for Ashley still, he could move forward with his threats of divorce.

He had thrown the words at Scarlett in an attempt to save himself the embarrassment, should he be wrong, of watching Scarlett throw herself at Ashley. Since Bonnie's death months back, he had considered leaving Scarlett in his more drunken moments, but he had tired of running.

Perhaps some time away from Atlanta was for the best. If he didn't leave tonight, Rhett highly doubted he ever would. Melanie's death, in a weird way, had spurred him out of the inaction of the last few years. Yet, every one of his instincts, even as he was approaching the depot, those same ones that had ensured his survival, were urging Rhett to stay.

Before Rhett knew it, they had arrived at the station. It was still bustling with activity as the last train from Macon was pulling up to the platform, and the last train bound for Charleston, via Augusta, was leaving shortly. He would have just enough time to purchase his first-class ticket before the train left. Stepping out of the carriage, Rhett felt the need to hurry. The last thing he wanted now was to be stuck in Atlanta overnight. Checking into the National would arouse suspicions and gossip amongst the many peahens of his wife's acquaintance. How Mrs. Merriwether and Mrs. Elsing always managed to hear the latest news still astounded him?

Rhett looked around the depot, grateful that he saw not one of his or Scarlett's acquaintances. He did not want to answer any awkward questions or have anyone remember his departure, on the same night as Melanie Wilkes' death.

"Pork, be sure that you arrange for my things - "

"Captain Butler! Is that you?"

Damn it! Henry Hamilton's voice carried down the length of the platform as the older man came rushing towards him. A few heads turned in Rhett's direction.

"Henry?"

"I came as soon as I heard." Henry was out of breath and looked harried. His silver hair, usually neatly combed, looked as if his hands had run through it multiple times, in his distress. "How's my niece?"

Rhett closely watched Henry's face as he muttered, "I'm sorry, Henry."

"Oh, dear God, they're both gone."

Deep lines were imprinted into Henry Hamilton's face. His face, ordinarily expressionless, now told of a man who was being given the worst kind of news by a man he despised. A more sorrowful look, Rhett had never seen. Henry's dark eyes glossed over, and his face fell. It was then that Rhett realized that now only Henry and his sister Pitty remained. Both their niece and nephew were dead, leaving behind Wade and Beau as the next generation of Hamilton's.

"Did you come to meet me, Captain Butler?" Henry asked, his voice quivering with emotion.

"Uh, no, I was just leaving."

"Leaving? You can't leave." Henry looked genuinely confused.

"I'm afraid I must." Rhett watched as Henry studied his face, and he hoped that Henry would not see the emotions that Rhett realized must be all too plainly etched on his face. "I've been called away to attend to some personal matters - "

"Captain Butler?"

Rhett nodded, looking towards his train. If he didn't hurry, he would certainly miss the last train.

"Did you care for or respect my niece?"

"Miss Melly?"

"Of course, I mean, Melanie."

Looking around the station at the people, rushing to step on the train or see to their belongings, Rhett exhaled. Melanie Wilkes was dead, but life continued for everyone else.

"I did, Henry. A great deal. Melanie Wilkes was one of the kindest, greatest ladies I've had the pleasure of knowing in my life." If he said another word, the chasm of grief would swallow him. Rhett thought back to the conversation he and Melanie had had after Scarlett's fall and her kindness to him after Bonnie's death. He owed Melanie, for she had been a good friend not only to him but also to Scarlett even when Scarlett had treated her wrongly. And Scarlett had. Countless times.

"Then how can you even think about leaving now? Her best friend, your wife needs you - "

"No, she needs Ashley." The words left his lips before he could stop them.

"You don't mean that." Henry watched him intently and stepped closer, to ensure he was heard above the din of the station. "That's an ugly rumor."

"It's not, Henry. I wish it were, but it is not."

Henry turned his head towards Pork, who stood off to the side. "Pork, can you gather my things? Captain Butler is going to accompany me home. Go on."

Rhett watched Pork hurry towards Henry and place his bags in the carriage.

"Henry, I'm afraid I can't - "

"Rhett, come with me." The tone of the older man's voice demanded obedience, and Rhett found himself following Henry, like a naughty child, as they exited the platform.

Back in the carriage, neither man spoke. Rhett wasn't sure why he had allowed himself to be steered back into the carriage and why he wasn't sitting on the train at that very moment watching Atlanta disappear before his eyes. This was madness. He would be forced to check into a hotel and then slip away in the morning.

When the carriage finally pulled up in front of the National Hotel, both men climbed out. Rhett smiled. He recalled that he and Henry had both called the Atlanta Hotel home before the Yankees had destroyed it. He and Scarlett had called the honeymoon suite of the National Hotel, home after their honeymoon while the house on Peachtree was under construction. Evidently, at some point, Henry had moved into the National. Rhett surmised that just like him, Henry felt more at ease in a hotel than anywhere else.

"Pork, go home. I'll arrange for my transportation to the station in the morning." Rhett looked forlornly at his manservant, hoping that Pork would keep this detour from Scarlett.

"Yes, sir."

Turning, Rhett followed Henry into the hotel and up to his rooms. Rhett scanned the lobby, not even considering that the likelihood of any one of importance recognizing him was minimal. Atlanta's Old Guard did not frequent the National.

Although not quite as luxurious as the honeymoon suite, the two rooms that Henry lived in were spacious and more than enough for a bachelor of Henry's advanced age. For a brief moment, Rhett wondered what the story was there. Despite an acquaintance of over a decade, Rhett knew very little about Henry Hamilton. Getting to know Scarlett's uncle by marriage had never seemed important or particularly attractive, beyond the political meetings they had both attended.

Henry set his bags down and immediately walked to a cabinet on the side that held a tray with various bottles and spirits. Rhett noted that Henry's hands shook noticeably as he poured himself a drink.

"Care for a drink, Rhett?" Henry was half-turned towards him, gesturing to the bottle in his hand.

Rhett, still standing by the door, shook his head. "I'd better not Henry, It's quite late, and I'll need to be at the station quite early."

That was only partially the truth. Since Scarlett's departure for Marietta, Rhett had not touched a drop of alcohol. It had been an exercise in supreme self-restraint but a necessary one. In all his years he had never been kicked out of a whorehouse. Belle's concern that he was going to kill himself also made Rhett think twice. Not a drop had passed his lips for some time, and he knew that if he started again, it would be the death of him.

"Then sit down," Henry ordered, gesturing towards a sofa. Filling his glass a second time, he took a long drink. Rhett could almost taste the burn of the whisky running down his throat. He swallowed and looked away.

"Rhett, if you don't mind my asking, where were you off to tonight?"

"Charleston." Rhett watched as the older gentlemen seemed to ponder his answer.

"Charleston? I don't mean to be rude, but can I ask you a rather personal question?"

Rhett nodded, and Henry gulped down the last of his drink and set the empty glass on the table in front of him. "Is this about Bonnie?"

"Bonnie?"

"Yes, your little girl just died, and everyone appreciates the grief that you must be feeling - "

"This isn't about Bonnie, Henry; it's about self-preservation. I can't stay with a woman who loves another man. Her heart belongs to him and has since the day I met her. I gambled and lost. I'm too old to play Scarlett's games anymore. I want to go somewhere that's not Atlanta. It's too raw here for me. I'll search for boredom and respectability someplace else."

"So, you're leaving Scarlett?" Was Rhett mistaken, or did Henry look saddened and defeated by the news?

Rhett nodded his head again. He was suddenly weary of this conversation. He had no idea why he was here.

"Are you divorcing her?" Henry stumbled over the offending word.

"I'd rather not say."

While Henry did not look happy at his refusal to answer, Rhett didn't care and returned Henry's penetrating stare.

"As you are fully aware of Rhett, I have known and represented Scarlett for years. To me, she will always be Charlie's widow and Wade's mother. I'm old enough to be her father and, despite not always appreciated how she, err, went about her business, I am concerned about her and the child. Children." Henry corrected himself. "Excuse me for asking, but having never been married, I don't understand why you feel the need to leave her and go to Charleston? What are you hoping to find there?"

Rhett could tell that Henry didn't like him and that he was only looking out for Scarlett and the children. With Wade being the only Hamilton male to carry on the family name, Henry was invested in the reputation of his great-nephew.

"I guess I'm simply trying to understand what going to Charleston is going to accomplish," Henry stated when Rhett did not speak.

"Scarlett and I need some time apart. We want different things. I want to try to regain what I can of my reputation and perhaps some peace of mind. I told Scarlett I would come home again to keep the gossip down here in Atlanta," Rhett admitted.

"You are a fool, young man," Henry chastised. "By going to Charleston, you will accomplish the exact opposite. How long do you believe it will take for the rumors to reach Charleston that you've left Scarlett? Nevermind, by going to Charleston, once again, you will have confirmed for the people of both glorious cities that you and Scarlett are separated. And where does that leave Scarlett and her children?"

Henry's voice was firm, and his words were blunt. Rhett sensed that Henry was most likely well aware of the rumors that had swirled not only around him but that had been uttered about Scarlett and him since the war. Henry did not say it, but Rhett was confident that the older gentlemen thought that Melanie would no longer be around to soothe people's feelings over the Butlers. Henry was probably tired of the rumors that were certain to ruin Wade's reputation and prospects for the future.

"And how long will it take for the rumors of your impending divorce to reach Charleston? You claim to want to make a life there once again, and yet news of your divorce from Scarlett will do just the opposite. It will effectively shut any doors that have been opened to you - by your wife, I must add."

Henry was correct. In his panic today, Rhett had ignored the fact that not only would a divorce exclude him from being accepted in Charleston, but it would do permanent harm to Scarlett and the children. If news of a divorce leaked out, and it most certainly would get back to the people of Charleston, any hope Rhett had of achieving respectability would vanish.

Rhett attempted to push the obvious out of his mind. He would be, for all intents and purposes, more of an outcast in Charleston if he left Scarlett. There was not enough money in the world to make him respectable once again if things ended with his wife. Rhett had been so determined to make Scarlett pay for her infatuation with Ashley, a true gentleman, that he had ignored that it was his wife who had opened the door to respectability once more. What was worse was that he had encouraged Scarlett to throw away her reputation, in the hopes that Ashley would no longer want her. Scarlett was the key to the respectability that he secretly craved, and Rhett was now on the brink of throwing it away for both of them.

Rhett knew that his departure would ruin Scarlett. If they divorced, he could undoubtedly travel abroad for the rest of his days when the people of Charleston turned their back on him again. But what would happen to Scarlett and Wade and Ella? Would any of them recover from the stigma of a divorce? Would they be forced to leave Atlanta behind? Where could a divorced woman with two small children go to escape the scandal of a failed marriage?

But if he listened to Henry and stayed, would he be stuck in a loveless, one-sided marriage? Could he live with seeing Scarlett every day, knowing that she was willing to offer him everything that he had once wanted?

And there wasn't just Scarlett and the children to consider. Would his mother fall victim to the hostile gossip? So far, it hadn't touched her - his mother had friends that were willing to ignore the malicious rumors about her son - but that had been the rumors associated with an irresponsible young man, not a husband and father. Rhett doubted that his grief over Bonnie would protect him from being shunned by the people of Charleston.

"And what are your terms for divorce?" Henry's voice shattered Rhett's thoughts. "If you can get one, which even with all your money and contacts, would be almost impossible to attain in South Carolina. Unless I'm wrong, Scarlett has the grounds to seek a divorce. You do not."

Rhett had never felt the need to hide his relationship with Belle Watling. In the heat of an argument with Scarlett, he had thrown Belle's name around with the sole purpose of hurting and humiliating his wife, in the same manner, her behaviors had hurt him. Everyone in Atlanta suspected that he spent far too much time in Belle's house; he has not hidden his frequent visits recently.

"I don't want anything from Scarlett," Rhett conceded. "The store, the house, and the land by the depot are all hers. I want to ensure that Scarlett and the children will be well-taken care of."

"Taken care of?" Henry repeated quizzically. "You do understand that divorce would ostracize both Scarlett and the children to a degree where they would be unable to remain in Atlanta. And the chances of either child being able to marry someone of their social class would be impossible. Does that sound familiar, Rhett?"

No one had ever said as much to him, but Rhett had known the truth since his departure from his father's home. No upstanding, respectable Southern family would ever allow him to marry into their family. His insistence that he was not a marrying man had been borne of that reality. Rhett had said it to protect himself and had been secretly grateful when Scarlett had agreed to marry him.

"Rhett, as someone who is concerned for both you and Scarlett, don't make any hasty decisions right away. Give it some time."

"How long?" Rhett hoped that his tone did not betray the defeat that he felt.

"Damn it, Rhett, I don't know." Henry slammed his glass on the desk, sloshing liquid onto the table. "By the looks of it, you and Scarlett have been blundering through this relationship for the last twelve years. Are neither of you tired of all the rumors and excitement you create in this town? First, consider your behavior when she was a widow during the war. Then, think about how it looked when you escorted a heavily pregnant woman around town when her husband was still alive. Your relationship with a whore and Scarlett's friendship with her brother in law doesn't help matters any. The pair of you are so frustrating. You both play by your own rules and look where it has gotten you - unhappy and on the verge of divorce. How long did it take you to catch her?"

"I never did, Henry." Rhett wished he had accepted Henry's offer of a drink. Was it too late now? "I never did."

"So maybe you should. Rhett, you don't want to end up like me. I love my work, and it keeps me active and busy, but it will never take the place of a wife and children. You can still have that, or you can throw it away. I will probably work until the day I die because I have no one to go home to." Henry swigged the last of his drink. "And perhaps it would be best not to make any assumptions about what Scarlett wants or doesn't want, what she thinks, feels, needs - listen to her. If the rumors are true, you've both done things to hurt each other."

"I can't stay here in Atlanta. In that house."

"Then take her to that damn farm she loves, take her anywhere. You don't have to stay in Atlanta."

"Henry?"

"Yes?"

Rhett wasn't sure if he had any right to ask, but Henry's words had aroused his curiosity. "Why did you never marry?"

"It's a long and boring story, Rhett." Rhett watched Henry's eyes flit across the room as if he was searching for something.

"Apparently, I have the time to listen," Rhett drawled, and Henry turned his head to smile at him. Henry shifted in his seat and looked despondently at the empty glass in front of him.

"When I was a young man, there was a young woman that I hoped to marry, but her family, despite my family's reputation, thought that marrying a lawyer was beneath her. When I asked her father for permission to court her, he turned me down. The next thing I knew, she was about to marry a planter's son. I was so angry that I devoted myself to my work." Henry looked up at Rhett. "That's where I was tonight."

"Excuse me?" Rhett asked. This was news to him. He had never heard Scarlett speak of Henry Hamilton's past, and Rhett wondered if she even knew this information about her first husband's uncle.

"The woman in question is now a widow living in Macon." Henry smiled weakly and shrugged his shoulders. "I visit her from time to time when I can. Although, I would appreciate it if you did not disclose that information to anyone, especially my sister. "

"Harry, why would your sister or anyone, for that matter, be concerned with how, or with whom, you spend your time?"

Henry looked uncomfortable at the mention of Pitty. There had always been strain between brother and sister that no one had been able to explain to Rhett adequately.

"As you well know, Rhett, my sister, and I are not very close due to her rather foolish nature." Henry seemed to hesitate. "Sarah was - how shall I say this without sounding harsh - a rather ordinary and timid belle. One young man - a cousin to the young woman I was to marry - approached my father a few years after my rejection in the hopes of marrying my sister."

Watching a range of emotions dance across Henry's face, Rhett sat patiently in his chair. Rhett faintly remembered Scarlett mentioning a falling out between Henry and his sister over a non-existent gold mine and Pitty's desire to invest five hundred dollars in the scheme, but it had failed, at the time it was disclosed to Rhett, to explain the sibling relationship adequately.

"I'm ashamed to admit it, Rhett, but in my anger over my own failed attempt to court - " Henry paused, possibly on the verge of identifying the name of the woman he visited. "I encouraged my father to turn down my sister's beau for purely selfish reasons: I was still hurting, and I couldn't stand to see Sarah happy."

Rhett saw the regret and shame written on Henry's face.

"I'm not sure if you're aware of the story, but years later, when my brother and his wife, Melly and Charlie's parents, were killed, the children were both very young. With my mother gone and my father's health in decline, it fell to Sarah and I to raise the children. I hoped that nurturing our niece and nephew would alleviate some of my guilt. It has not."

Sarah Jane "Pittypat" Hamilton had never married and been able to have children on her own. She had selflessly raised Melly and Charlie, her orphaned niece and nephew, loving them in place of the children she would never have. They were the only children she would ever have, and their children would be the only grandchildren she would ever love.

And Henry Hamilton had been to blame.

"My sister never found out that I had stood in the way of her marrying, and I'd like your discretion, Rhett, in this matter. When Sarah finds out that I've rekindled a relationship of sorts with this woman, I'm not sure how she will react."

Rhett hoped that Pitty never discovered her brother's interference in her life, and instead considered how she had carried out her duty to her family. Rhett wondered how Pitty had reacted to the loss of Melanie? Both her children were now gone. Did she worry about who would care for her in her advanced age?

"Henry?"

"Yes?"

"I don't know if I want to leave Scarlett. But I know that I honestly don't want to go to Charleston."

"Rhett, I'm tired, and tomorrow is going to be a long day. You are welcome to sleep here. But under no circumstances are you going to go anywhere before Melly is laid to rest." Henry stood up and looked wearily at Rhett. "Rhett, when you love someone, you don't run away."

Perhaps Henry was correct, Rhett thought, watching Henry walk into his bedroom and close the door behind him. Maybe he should wait a little longer before making any rash decisions. Bonnie was gone, and Melly had just died, but Rhett doubted he was making a mistake. Was it possible he had misread Scarlett? What if Scarlett didn't let him back into her life? By nature, he was a gambler and a risk-taker, but with his heart at risk, Rhett wasn't sure he wanted to place the bet. If he wagered and lost, the outcome might be disastrous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will admit to having read the final chapter of GWtW more times than I can count. Based on experience, it IS possible to fall out of love with someone, and love can die. Based on his history of hiding the truth, was Rhett's speech a pile of B.S., or did he mean it?
> 
> Rhett talks a big game throughout GWtW, and none is more significant than his views on one's reputation. I also wonder if he would pick Charleston society over his "uneducated, Irish wife" who GAVE him back his reputation? After Melanie dies, would leaving Scarlett and the children, when they need him most, be just another act of cruelty and selfishness on Rhett's part? Rhett also courted Scarlett for such a long time that maybe he had unrealistic expectations going into their married life. The Scarlett of his fantasies was not the Scarlett he ended up with. Once they married, Rhett couldn't just disappear and instead is reminded daily that he had failed to win her love.
> 
> I always wondered whether Rhett had any friends? Scarlett might have been one at some point, but Melly might be the only person who Rhett could honestly call a friend. He pays Belle to be his "friend," and no member of Atlanta's Old Guard likes him. Rhett does not seem to have any relationship with his father or brother or sister, and Ashley will never be a friend. Does he have friends in New Orleans or Charleston? Rhett seems to be a loner who doesn't always know how to deal with people.
> 
> While Rhett does blame himself for Scarlett's accident and Bonnie's tragic accident, after that final speech someone needed to remind Rhett that he wasn't a victim or innocent bystander. Henry Hamilton seemed like the right choice. I took some "liberties" with the Aunt Pitty/Uncle Henry story, but I always thought there was more to their story than the non-existent gold mine story.
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked or left a Kudo for this story.


	3. When All Else Fails

Only when Rhett's footsteps faded away, and she heard the resounding echo of a door, did Scarlett finally permit herself to cry. Muffling her cries in the coverlet of his bed, she sobbed as she never had before. The loss of Ellen had palled in comparison to this grief. Bonnie’s death had left her bereft, but circumstances had forced her to pull herself together. Tonight, however, Scarlett cried until she could hardly breathe and found herself taking giant gulps of air, hoping the air would reach her lungs. It felt like she was suffocating in her own grief.

Scarlett did not move from her position on Rhett’s bed until she heard the sound of the carriage pulling away from in front of the house. Only when she was sure that he was gone did Scarlett feel confident enough to lift her body from the bed to a sitting position.

Wiping away the last of her tears with the back of her hand, Scarlett vowed that she would never shed another for Rhett Butler. He wasn't worth her tears. Not as a child, and certainly never as an adult, had Scarlett cried as much as she had today.

First for Melly; now for Rhett.

Rising from Rhett’s bed, Scarlett walked to the window that her husband had stood in front of just minutes before and flung it open, allowing the cooler night air to enter the room. Scarlett could feel the beginnings of a new season in the crisp breeze. Blowing her nose with one of Rhett’s handkerchiefs that she found on his dresser, Scarlett left the room in search of a glass of water. The profusion of tears had left her feeling dehydrated. Her eyes needed a break, and suddenly she felt frustrated with herself. What was crying going to accomplish? It would not bring Rhett back, and it had not eased any of her pain or confusion.

Scarlett had surprised herself that night. The teasing and cruel words that Rhett had hurled at her for years incited a need in her to win a fight or, at the very least, to stand up for herself. It had been a long time since she had sparred with her husband. Following Rhett's return from Charleston, their venomous words to each other had resulted in her accident. Rhett had treated her differently after her convalescence, and after Bonnie's death, he was seldom at home, leaving them few opportunities to argue. Earlier in the marriage, Scarlett recalled conversations that had been bewildering and even hurtful. Rhett had, at times, made her feel dumb, and Scarlett knew she wasn’t. Ashley had never made her feel her lack of education, and she was sure that had Charlie lived, he wouldn’t have treated her as Rhett had periodically.

It struck Scarlett, and it wasn't the first time these thoughts entered her head that she didn't really understand Rhett. How could he claim that he had loved her and yet treated her so abysmally in the past? Rhett had abandoned her on the road to Tara, there was that entire episode with the sign for her store, throwing his relationship with that vile woman in her face and so many other incidents. How was she supposed to know that Rhett loved her?

For all his claims, Rhett didn’t know her very well, either. Even early on in their acquaintance, she had always been able to be herself around Rhett, and he had accepted her until he didn’t anymore. Scarlett wasn’t sure exactly what happened or when Rhett’s attitude towards her changed, but things hadn’t been right since very early on in their marriage. Recently, life in the Peachtree Street house had gotten worse. Perhaps recently was the wrong word. Since her miscarriage, her relationship with Rhett had shifted yet again.

The war, Ashley’s treatment of her, her parents' death, the unfair expectations placed upon her by Atlanta society, the death of her unborn child, Bonnie, and now Melly's death had all succeeded in finally wearing Scarlett down. Rhett’s departure tonight was the last straw.

Unable to remain a moment longer within the confines of Rhett’s room, she descended the stairs and crept through the eerily quiet house. Finding herself in the parlor, Scarlett hastily poured herself a glass of water, gulped it down, and drank another. Her eyes took in the tray of brandy and whisky. As much as she craved a drink, Scarlett refrained from it. She had cried over her misfortune, created partially by a man she little understood, but there was no way Scarlett was going to drink herself into oblivion. She had sobered up during her stay in Marietta; one or two drinks nightly surely did not count.

But how great was the craving for a single drop of alcohol?

Once the events of the next few days were over, she would allow herself a drink. Scarlett was confident that one drink tonight would turn into two or three or four. And she could little afford the gossip now, especially as she would have to face Atlanta’s Old Guard at Melly’s funeral alone.

Besides, Scarlett knew that she needed clarity to consider her options, not that she had many. Rhett had made it abundantly clear that he did not want her to follow him to Charleston if that was really where he intended to go. She wouldn’t put it past the man to lie to her and go elsewhere. No, she would not chase him. It would be futile. Despite not being overly astute, Scarlett knew that her husband had meant his words. Nonetheless, Scarlett realized that she had thought only of herself for so long. She would grant Rhett his wish, even if it cost her what she wanted most.

Scarlett needed to formulate a plan for when he returned, but she couldn't think about it tonight. Her thoughts were too jumbled; her emotions were chaotic. It was her good fortune that Rhett had promised to return periodically to keep the good people of Atlanta from gossiping about them. And Scarlett wondered if Rhett actually intended to come home regularly or whether that had been a ploy to silence her? His absence at Melly’s funeral would be problematic to explain, but all Scarlett would need to do is point to his still-fresh grief over Bonnie as an explanation, and those old peahens would leave her in peace.

As Scarlett looked around the darkened room, she decided that once Melanie had been buried, and her business was in order, she would take Wade and Ella with her to Tara. The thought of spending time with Suellen and her brood did little to excite her, but Scarlett was optimistic that the red earth of Tara would help to rejuvenate her. Riding over-familiar hills and along the banks of the meandering river would clear her mind and help her come up with some way to get Rhett back.

One thing was certain: she could not stay in Atlanta, where people were sure to talk about her. Being at Tara meant that she could avoid Ashley, which now seemed just as important as winning Rhett’s love. Scarlett did not want any wagging tongues and gossip to reach Rhett’s ears wherever he was. If Rhett even thought for a moment that she had run to Ashley, Scarlett was confident that Rhett would never return. There was, of course, her promise to Melly, but Scarlett was optimistic that she could fulfill that promise without compromising her marriage further. She could just as easily look after Beau from Tara as she could if she were in town. Perhaps, Ashley could be convinced to send the boy to the country for some much-needed distraction from the grief that would inevitably envelop the Wilkes’ home.

Was she honestly considering going back to Tara to wait for Rhett's next move? Was she making the right decision?

With Rhett gone, no close friends to speak of, and all the people that she could have depended upon gone from her life, Scarlett was indeed at a loss. There was no one she could talk to, no one to give her advice. Melly was dead, but given the lack of transparency in their relationship, Scarlett doubted if she would have offered any solid advice. Ashley was grieving and had to be avoided. There was no way she could confide in Suellen, who would use any information or weakness against her in some way. Mammy had walked away from her, a choice that still stung. If her parents had lived, they would hardly recognize their daughter and would probably be appalled by her choices.

The only person who had given her good advice had been Rhett, and that was before they were married. She and Rhett had been friends at some point during the war and after. Something had changed after she had Ella, and when they had married, she did not feel like they were friends any longer.

Who was left? A sudden sense of isolation gripped her. Scarlett had shouldered so many burdens alone since the war. It was her stubborn determination that had kept the O’Hara and Wilkes’ families fed at Tara. Her sacrifice and quick thinking had ensured there was a roof over their heads by finding a way to pay the taxes. Depending on anyone else might have led to starvation or death.

Scarlett thought back to Rhett’s words about allowing him to fight for her. With everything that had happened, how could she let someone take charge? Take control? Scarlett couldn’t admit to anyone that she needed help, and giving up control was a foreign idea to her. In truth, she was afraid of sharing her burdens with anyone, fearful that they would be thrown back into her face. Showing weakness would have meant starvation at Tara, and so she had long ago shouldered all the burdens that life threw at her on her own. Asking for advice almost seemed like admitting weakness or a need for charity.

A decision regarding her life now would be hers and hers alone to make.

It would also mean that she would need to redirect her attention to Wade and Ella and find some measure of happiness in her children, while she waited for Rhett’s return. There was still the matter of the store. And there was… Scarlett paused. What else was there? Were the store and her children now the sum total of her life?

Scarlett's thoughts went to Rhett’s accusation that she was a poor mother. While she lacked Melly's maternal instincts, Scarlett had done her best with Wade and Ella. It was not her fault that she had been busy during the war with her nursing duties and active social life, to spend more time with Wade. Melly and Aunt Pitty, and even Uncle Peter, had stepped in to care for the boy. After returning to Tara, she was so occupied with the survival of her entire family, including a sickly Melly and infant Beau, that Scarlett rarely had a moment to think about her son, beyond whether he had enough to eat. After her marriage to Frank, there had only been time to focus on the success of the store and the mills. Marrying Rhett when Ella was still a toddler should have allowed her to focus more on her children, but Scarlett had continued to focus on her accumulation of wealth. Melly was more than content to spend time with both Wade and Ella, and Scarlett pushed aside any uncomfortable feelings. Rhett had monopolized Bonnie, so Scarlett rarely had to bother about her last born.

All her actions after the war had been to ensure that the basic needs of her children and family were safeguarded against any future calamity.

Yet, Scarlett was left with a gnawing feeling that she could have been a better mother; she simply didn't know how to. From the first moment that Melly had laid eyes on Wade as a wailing infant, Scarlett had noticed a brimming expression of maternal affection that she lacked. It had not taken root with her other two children, and Scarlett suspected it never would. The children seemed to be more relaxed with both their aunt and stepfather. Would Wade and Ella even want her in their lives as they got older?

Scarlett cringed as she considered what Rhett's opinion would have been of her if she had vocalized her fleeting but still callous thought that it might have been Ella and not Bonnie on that pony? How could any mother want one child dead over another, even for a moment? It wasn't Ella's fault that she was Frank Kennedy's child and not Rhett's.

What a mess her life had become.

Of one thing, Scarlett was confident: she had no plans of ever getting married again. Three disastrous marriages were more than enough for one person. The truth be told, she had not wanted to marry Rhett and had only done so under the influence of alcohol and grief and his kisses. That, in hindsight, had been a mistake.

No, Scarlett thought to herself. The children and the store will have to be enough. Not everyone gets a happy life. The war made that very clear. She thought of her childhood beaux, who would never come home and the women they left behind. The role she played in Suellen’s unhappiness still plagued her. Scarlett didn’t even want to think about all the ways in which she had let Carreen down.

Walking slowly into the library, Scarlett walked over to her desk, where most nights, she looked over the accounts for her store. Taking out a piece of paper, she hastily wrote Pork’s name on a piece of paper. Pausing, she wondered if Pork could read. First thing in the morning, she would ask Pork to send a message to the hotel in Marietta where Prissy had remained with the children. The girl could take the children straight to Tara. There was no way Scarlett wanted either of her children here when their beloved aunt was being buried. They would not understand, and it would be easier to tell them when a few days had gone by.

Placing the note on the table in the entryway, where Pork was sure to notice it when he locked up for the night, she carried her glass of water back up to her room. Stealing quietly into Rhett’s room, Scarlett walked into his closet in search of his night coat. Once she was back in her room, Scarlett laid it at the foot of her bed and attempted to undress. Her lack of corsets made the job much easier and slipping a thin cotton nightgown over her head, she settled herself in the oversized bed.

Listening to the house creak and groan around her, Scarlett suddenly realized that she had another option.

She could wait for Rhett to return.

She could follow her husband to Charleston.

Or she could simply decide that she could live her life without Rhett Butler.

Only now, after having run through all the possibilities, could Scarlett admit that there was a particular appeal to the last option. Would this be a day she would remember for the rest of her life? The memory of some days was more vivid than others. Scarlett could clearly recall the day she first met Rhett at the Twelve Oaks barbeque, the first night she had danced in his arms at the Atlanta bazaar, their first kiss on the road to Tara, the afternoon she banned him from her bed, Bonnie's birth, the night he carried her up the stairs after Ashley’s birthday party. Would this be another one of those vivid days?

The day she decided that she did not have to stay married to Rhett Butler.

No closer to a decision, Scarlett hoped that sleep would come to her that night and that the nightmares would stay away. That night, for the first time in a long time, she slept soundly.

There were no nightmares, only dreams of Rhett.

* * *

Scarlett woke up the following morning to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. For a brief moment, she lay in her bed light-heartedly listening to the sounds outside until memories of the day before flooded into her thoughts. Usually, she was a late riser, but today, there were things that needed her attention. The first pressing matter was going over to Melanie’s home to offer what assistance she could in planning Melly's funeral. Both Ashley and Aunt Pitty would be unable to make any much-needed decisions. India would undoubtedly put up some resistance, but Scarlett did not care. She learned too late just how important Melanie was to her and how much she loved her sister in law. Scarlett would do whatever was in her power to give Melly the farewell she deserved, as well as help Beau and Ashley through these difficult days ahead.

Lifting her arms high above her head, Scarlett let her body arch into a long stretch. A twitch in her ribs reminded her of all that she had lost. Even now, her body reminded her of the baby that she had miscarried. Scarlett brushed aside those reflections. Today was a new day, and she would not allow regrets, still fresh and raw, from that time in her life to overwhelm her. She doubted that if she lived to one hundred, whether she would ever be free from thinking about a baby she would never get to hold and a man she would never be allowed to love.

Scarlett threw the sheets off her body and rose from the bed. As she quietly padded to the bedroom window, Scarlett put on Rhett's housecoat that lay at the foot of her bed. She took in the still-lingering scent of her husband. The smell would grow fainter and fainter every day until someday in the not so distant future it would disappear.

In the short twelve hours that he had been gone, Scarlett already missed his presence in their home, the sound of his voice, his laugh. She missed talking to him about business, the children, hearing the exaggerated stories of his adventurous youth. There was nothing about Rhett she didn't miss. At one time, he had been her best friend, and that was the man Scarlett yearned for. She wanted her best friend, the man who made her heart quicken.

Was it possible, in twelve hours, to go from wanting to leave a man and to craving him? Damn Rhett Butler!

Scarlett pushed all thoughts of Rhett out of her head as she flung the curtains open. Scanning the skies, Scarlett realized it would be another beautiful, late summer day. The sky was a flawless cerulean blue. There were no clouds as far as Scarlett could see. As she stood there, she felt that everything around her was more vivid than she had remembered them being for a very long time. The sounds of the birds chirping were crystal clear. The smell from the kitchen, announcing breakfast, was mouthwatering. She slept well for the first time in months, and her appetite had returned.

Scarlett was struck by how quiet and calm it was. The house was almost too quiet. The laughter and commotion that Bonnie had brought to the house were gone. If she tried, Scarlett found that she could practically hear the sound of children’s squeals and laughter coming from the nursery. Truth be told, the house hadn't felt alive since the beautiful summer day when Bonnie had died.

Just as Scarlett was about to ring for Prissy to help her dress for the day, she paused, remembering that the girl was still in Marietta with Wade and Ella. It was still too early to go to Melanie’s house, so she tightened the robe around her body and decided to wait until after breakfast to dress. After all, there was no one there to see her in her current state of undress. There would be time to dress later. There had not been any early morning callers for some time now. Actually, there seldom were callers to the Peachtree Street house.

As she stepped into the hallway, Scarlett immediately sensed something odd. Something felt different in the house; she was surprised she hadn’t detected it from the moment she had awoken. Pulling the wrapper more tightly around her body, she slowly made her way out of her room. Making her way down the hallway to the stairs, Scarlett tried to forget the images that kept assailed her all these years later.

When her foot left the bottom step, Scarlett stopped, not because of her memories of lying there crumpled on the ground but because of the conversation coming from the dining room. The door was ajar. As she pushed it open with the tips of her fingers, Scarlett exhaled deeply. She hadn’t realized it, but she had been holding her breath. Something was very different about her dining room.

Her husband was back.

Rhett sat in his usual place at the head of the table. He was leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed loosely in front of his chest, immersed in a quiet conversation with Pork. Rhett stopped suddenly, and as Pork quickly exited the room, Rhett turned to her.

“Good morning, Scarlett.”

“Good morning, Rhett.”

“I trust you slept well last night.”

"I did, thank you." Suddenly, realizing her state of undress, Scarlett hugged the wrapper tighter around her body. “Let me go upstairs and get dressed before - ”

“Scarlett, there’s no need. Breakfast will be cold by the time you are finished dressing.” Rhett smirked, obviously noticing her choice of dress, and poured her a cup of coffee. For the first time in a very long time, Scarlett found herself sitting across from her husband. She actually couldn’t remember the last time they had eaten together as a couple. In the previous few months, Rhett had eaten breakfast with the children every morning. That is, before Bonnie’s death. She did not want to think about where he had been most mornings after they had buried their little girl. Scarlett, herself, had rarely made it downstairs to enjoy a meal with her husband and children.

Scarlett sipped her coffee as Rhett resumed reading his newspaper. She was actually glad that there seemed to be no expectation for them to converse; Scarlett was at a loss for words. The shock of seeing him was still too profound. She needed her breathing and her brain to slow down. Sneaking glances towards him, Scarlett found that each time her gaze settled on him, Rhett's dark eyes were quietly scrutinizing her over the top of his paper. Scarlett quickly looked away.

Even so, Scarlett noticed that he did not look well. Since Bonnie’s death, his eyes had been dark, cloudy, and spoke of his fatigue. They had seemed like the eyes of a dead man. There had been no spark, no mockery, just blackness. His voice had been cool and detached in their last conversation. His once beautiful body had been bloated with drink. The extra weight was emphasized by the fact that his suit, which was expertly cut and usually fit him exquisitely, looked strained.

Even in his current state, Rhett was still a handsome man; he could still take her breath away.

Rhett's eyes, this morning, somehow looked clearer than they had for weeks, Scarlett thought to herself. And there had been no note of disgust or disapproval when he had spoken to her moments before. But why was he still in Atlanta? Last night he had told her he was leaving, and she had never doubted his announcement.

Scarlett was so caught up in studying Rhett that she did notice that he had lowered the newspaper and was openly watching her. If she had, she probably still would have failed to read his thoughts.

At that moment, Rhett imagined that his wife was thinner than he remembered. It had been a long time since he had indeed looked at her. Since before Bonnie's death. Scarlett hardly touched the spread of food on the table, which was in itself odd; typically, she had a very healthy appetite. The darkness under his wife's eyes was noticeable, as well as the fine lines around her eyes and mouth. He wondered if the nightmares that had plagued her most of their marriage had kept her up the night before. Or was it that like him, Scarlett found it hard to sleep most nights?

The sofa in Henry Hamilton's suite of rooms, where he had slept the night before, had been less than comfortable, not that he had been able to get more than a few hours of rest. He had tossed and turned mostly because of the uncertainty and not because of the discomfort plaguing his over six-foot frame.

Scarlett was, however, still beautiful. Beautiful but changed. She had transformed overnight, it seemed. She was no longer a child. She had endured much. And it was all his doing.

His wife also appeared to be irritated.

“Seeing as you did not sleep here last night, I’m surprised that you’re not having breakfast with that woman.” Scarlett's clipped voice broke the silence.

“Scarlett.” His tone was short.

“Pardon me. A wife, or soon to be, a former wife has every right to question where her husband has spent the night, given that last evening, you told me clearly that you were leaving.”

In a matter of moments, they had reverted to their old pattern of scorn and hurt and sarcasm.

Scarlett watched Rhett fold the newspaper and place it down on the table.

“Not that it is any of your business, but I spent the night at the National. I came home early this morning to ensure that no one in town could say that I did not sleep here last night,” Rhett retorted.

His tone was dismissive, and Scarlett felt like a child. She rose from the table with as much dignity as she could muster. She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that this was going to be a long day.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to get dressed before I go over to the Wilkes’ to help with arrangements for Melanie’s funeral. I imagine that it will be held tomorrow or the next day.”

She turned to leave, but Rhett’s words stopped her.

“Scarlett, wait.”

“Why should I?” Scarlett asked, spinning her body back to face him.

Scarlett knew she sounded like a child, but she still had no clue why Rhett was sitting at the table and what it meant to her or their marriage.

“Because before we go over there, I would like to talk to you.” For an ordinarily, confident man, he seemed to be having trouble choosing his words. “With you.”

“About what?"

“Scarlett, can you stop acting like a child for a few minutes?”

Without a word, Scarlett resumed her seat and folded her hands in front of her on her lap, waiting for Rhett to speak. This was the exact posture she had often adopted with her mother or Mammy when she had failed to meet their exacting standards of what it meant to be a lady.

“I do not wish to discuss the events of last night again. At least not right away," Rhett hesitated. "I plan to stay until after Melanie’s funeral, and I was hoping we could be civil to each other.”

“Why?”

“To make both our lives easier,” Rhett offered.

Why had he ever agreed to humor Henry Hamilton? This was clearly an error in his usually superior judgment.

“No, I mean, why did you change your mind? It didn’t seem like you had any intention of staying to see Melanie buried.”

“I changed my mind last night. I feel like I owe it to Melanie. She was a good friend to both of us, even if it wasn’t always evident. Plus, I didn’t want you to have to explain my absence to - now what did you call them? Oh yes, - the pea-hens of Atlanta?”

Scarlett studied his blank face and realized that Rhett was not telling her everything. He was holding back the truth. This man was an enigma to her, and no matter how hard she tried to understand him, she couldn’t. Scarlett grew angry as she realized that he had not come back for her, but because of his loyalty to Melanie.

“You don’t need to do me any favors, Rhett.”

“Scarlett.” She ignored the tone of warning in his voice.

“I don’t need your pity or your help, Rhett.”

“I thought you would-” He watched her intently for a few moments. “Scarlett, I asked you last night, and I’ll ask you again. Do you want a divorce?”

“If you want a divorce, Rhett, there’s nothing I can do to stop you, but I don't need one. People are going to shun me whether I'm married or divorced, so what does it matter?”

She had not directly answered his question, but at that moment, Scarlett was angry that Rhett got to make all the decisions. Whether he stayed in the marriage or not, divorcing her or not would also be his decision. It wasn't fair.

“Whatever you decide is all right with me, Rhett. Now, I need to speak to Pork. I want him to send a message to Prissy to take the children directly to Tara, and I will join them there after the funeral.”

“About the children-”

"What?" Scarlett snapped.

"I’ve asked Pork to get word to Prissy to bring the children home today. They should be here for the funeral. Wade, at least, should be here," Rhett explained.

Sometimes explaining things to Scarlett was similar to his interactions with his step-daughter Ella.

"God’s nightgown, Rhett! They are my children, and I decide what is best for them. They are too young to understand-"

“Wade is becoming a man, Scarlett, and you may regret it if he finds out you kept him from attending Melly’s funeral. He was quite fond of his aunt," Rhett interjected, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice.

"A funeral is no place for a child," Scarlett argued.

How dare he waltz back in and make decisions for her and her children?

"He’s no longer a child, Scarlett."

"All right.” Scarlett did not have the energy to argue with him. “But you must help me to explain to him what has happened to Melly. I’m not sure I know how to.”

“I can do that.”

"All right." Scarlett did not trust herself to say anything else. “I should get dressed, and then I will go over to the Wilkes'."

"We can go together, Scarlett. I will sit here and enjoy the rest of my coffee until you are ready," Rhett said, taking a sip of his lukewarm coffee.

"All right."

Scarlett did not exhale her breath until she had reached the base of the stairs. She had no clue what had just happened or what had changed Rhett’s mind, but it did little to change hers. There was something unnatural about the entire conversation they had just had. It was civil. Almost too polite. Scarlett didn’t understand it or trust it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s always been my firm belief that by the end of GWtW, Scarlett had begun to mature. The process started after her miscarriage and continued after Bonnie’s death when she noticed how unhappy Rhett was, and she began to worry about his downward spiral into alcohol and depression. She starts to consider Rhett’s thoughts and feelings so that introspection would be plausible. Maybe she would embrace some of her mother’s teachings, but I don’t think Scarlett would completely change overnight. For the longest time, Rhett was also the only person Scarlett could be honest with. I wish Scarlett had had someone to fill that void.
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked or left a Kudo for this story.


	4. A Friendly Discussion Between Gentlemen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For whoknows3 (who is hopefully busy at work finishing Acceptable) - you know why ;)

Neither Scarlett or Rhett spoke as they traveled the short distance from their Peachtree house to the Wilkes’ home on Ivy Street. Instead, they rode in awkward silence. Scarlett snuck a few covert glances at Rhett, hoping to discover what he was thinking, but his expression was blank and undecipherable.

As the carriage lurched to a stop in front of the Wilkes' tiny, irregular shaped home, the first thing Scarlett observed was the boxwood wreath that hung from the front door, meant to alert people of death in the home. Scarlett briefly wondered which member of Atlanta society had thought to place it on the door. Judging by the number of people she saw entering the house to pay their respects, it seemed to Scarlett to be an unnecessary announcement.

Everyone in Atlanta knew that Melanie Wilkes had passed away the day before.

Scarlett had planned to be at Melanie’s house before the first mourners arrived, but the conversation with Rhett at breakfast had sidelined her, and it had taken her longer to prepare herself than she had anticipated. Choosing a black dress was easy enough, as her closet was full of them, and she was still not out of mourning for Bonnie. Confusion over Rhett’s sudden reappearance had distracted her, and Scarlett chose to ignore Rhett’s annoyance when she emerged from her room sometime later.

There had been no doubt in Scarlett's mind that people would talk about her when she appeared at Melanie’s house, but she had hoped to be one of the first people there. Now folks were bound to gossip about her obviously late arrival.

As Rhett offered her his hand to assist her from the carriage, Scarlett halted abruptly as a wave of panic filled her body. She whispered tearfully, “Rhett, I’m not sure I can face all these people.”

“And yet you will go inside for Miss Melly. Because if something had happened to you, she would have been the first person at our doorstep,” Rhett countered when she was firmly on solid ground.

Scarlett thought back to her fall and subsequent miscarriage or, more recently, Bonnie’s death, when Melanie had continuously been by her side, often ignoring her own family’s needs and personal health, to care for her. Melanie wouldn’t have cared what people said about her, but Melly had never thumbed her nose at the good people of Atlanta.

Melanie Wilkes had been one of them. Scarlett O'Hara Butler was not.

Rhett offered his arm to her and led her up the walkway of the front yard. The house, even after all these years, looked absurd with its flat roof. Scarlett still couldn’t understand how Ashley, Melanie, Beau, and at one time, India, had all managed to live in such a small house. Melanie had loved her home, and despite its size, it had always been full of company and love. Today would be no different.

Approaching the front door, Scarlett turned her head to glance at Mrs. Merriwether, Mrs. Elsing, and Mrs. Bonnell, who all stood huddled outside, nervously whispering to one another. Scarlett and Rhett offered the ladies a somber greeting.

“Scarlett, do you suppose we should go inside?” Mrs. Elsing asked, her voice shrill with concern.

The question caught Scarlett entirely off guard.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Elsing, I don’t believe I understand your question.” Scarlett looked at the trio of women before lifting her eyes to glance up at Rhett, whose face betrayed no amount of surprise.

“Well, I mean - ” Mrs. Elsing stuttered.

“As you are most certainly aware, Scarlett, some of us were not welcome in Mrs. Wilkes’ home after a rather unfortunate misunderstanding,” Mrs. Merriwether offered, keeping her eyes averted from Rhett's gaze.

It had utterly escaped Scarlett’s memory that after the events of Ashley’s birthday party and Melanie’s insistence of the innocence of Scarlett’s actions, that a deep rift had appeared between those in Atlanta who had believed India’s Wilkes’ story and those who supported Melanie when she sided with Scarlett. For quite some time after the incident, the ladies of Atlanta had held their breaths, hoping that Melanie and Scarlett did not call at the same time as India and her friends during afternoon visits. No one had wanted to experience such an uncomfortable meeting. Luckily, no such occurrence transpired, but it appeared that old habits died hard.

Scarlett felt Rhett shift uncomfortably beside her.

“Mrs. Merriwether, Mrs. Elsing, and Mrs. Bonnell," Rhett said, nodding to each woman. "I am confident that Mrs. Wilkes would have no objections to your presence in her home to pay your respects.” Rhett’s words were declared charmingly, but Scarlett was unsure of the truth behind them.

Scarlett had not expected the chasm to last as long as it did, but Melanie had been steadfast in her refusal to make amends with the very people who had tried to malign her sister-in-law’s reputation. Scarlett was glad that Rhett had settled the issue as she wasn’t sure she would have been so sympathetic, remembering how cruel the dowagers standing before her had been.

Rhett stepped back and gestured for the ladies to enter through the front door before him.

When Scarlett finally passed into the house, she realized that her conversation that morning with Rhett had ensured that they were the last people to arrive. The Wilkes’ home was small, very small, in comparison to the Peachtree Street house, and every room was filled to capacity with members of Atlanta’s Old Guard, who had come to sit with the Hamilton and Wilkes families and grieve over the loss of one of their finest and most respected ladies.

As she and Rhett walked past the tiny front parlor, the curtains were drawn, and the mirrors, both in the hallway and in the front room, were covered with crepe to ensure that Melanie’s spirit would not get trapped. Far from comforting Scarlett, these superstitious actions cemented the fact that her best friend was gone.

The room where Melanie’s body would lay once she returned from the undertakers was filled with an abundance of flowers and flickering candles. Scarlett had never seen this many bouquets in a single location before, and the scent was overpowering in such a confined space. There were chairs arranged in the room waiting for Melly's return, who would not be left alone until she had been buried. A member of the family or Atlanta’s old Guard would see to it.

Uncle Henry, who sat awkwardly beside his sister and India Wilkes, looked up at Scarlett as they entered the room, but other than a curious nod in Rhett's direction, said nothing to either her or Rhett. Though she had lived for years with Aunt Pitty, both during the war and after she married Frank, Scarlett did not remember an occasion where both siblings had been seated intimately in the same room. Both Uncle Henry and Aunt Pitty looked uneasy, but Scarlett recognized the steely look of determination in Uncle Henry's face. His sister pushed to the limit his patience with her delicate flutterings, but Scarlett could see the older man was making an effort.

Besides the night before, Scarlett could also not recall the last time she had seen both India and Aunt Pitty in the Wilkes’ home. Rushing into the Wilkes' house the previous evening as Melly lay dying, Scarlett had been shocked to see both Aunt Pitty, clearly distraught, and India, devoid of hatred, waiting with Ashley. Given that Aunt Pitty lived with India, and was reliant on India for her very independence, Aunt Pitty found herself caught in the middle of the feud. No one seemed to consider that it was partly Scarlett’s generosity that allowed both Aunt Pitty and India to continue living in the home. Aunt Pitty looked at Scarlett with embarrassment while India smiled weakly at Scarlett before turning away.

Rhett leaned towards her as they had settled themselves on a loveseat and whispered, “I wonder if any of these fine Christians would sit in our home for us?”

“Certainly not for you, Rhett,” Scarlett whispered, trying not to be overheard, as Rhett chuckled quietly beside her.

However, Scarlett knew that her ties to the people of Atlanta had been cut long before, and she imagined that no one would grieve over her the way they did over Melanie. Everyone loved Melanie, and it showed in the number of people present, resulting in the stifling temperature in the house.

On the mantle stood a clock stopped at the time of Melanie’s death the day before: six-thirty-six. As Scarlett looked around, all the photographs in the home had been turned face down. If she needed any further reminders that her best friend was dead, they were all around her. Scarlett wondered if India was responsible for all the changes that had sprung up overnight. Was this India’s way of trying to make amends to her brother and dead sister-in-law?

Scarlett looked around at the room full of people she had known since her arrival in Atlanta, eleven years before. For the first time, it struck her as odd that many of the women who had passed judgment on her all these years were widows, just as she had been twice before. Both Mrs. Elsing and Mrs. Merriwether had been widows for as long as she had known them. A massive wave of guilt crashed over Scarlett as Fanny glanced towards her and Rhett. If it hadn't been for Scarlett's blunder, Tommy would still be alive and sitting beside his wife.

Only Mrs. Meade sat beside her husband. Both Dr. Meade and Mrs. Meade looked troubled, and Scarlett wondered if they were both remembering their sons Darcy and Phil, who had died in the war. It almost seemed inevitable; Scarlett still thought of her parents on occasions such as this. Now she could add her beautiful, capricious daughter and kindhearted best friend to that list.

Scarlett wondered how the Meades had dealt with the loss of not one but both of their children. Just like her and Rhett, the Meades had lived, ate, slept, raised children together, and then found themselves burying those children. It was true that Darcy's body had never been found, but in Scarlett's mind, Dr. and Mrs. Meade had done something miraculous: the Meade's marriage had somehow survived. Why couldn’t she and Rhett have moved past Bonnie’s death like the Meade’s had so clearly survived the death of their sons?

The more pressing question in Scarlett’s mind was why Rhett was sitting beside her, acting like the devoted husband? She was never sure what to expect from him. Indifference. Hostility. He seemed uncomfortable and uncertain, but she couldn’t deny that the very presence of him gave her some comfort. There was an air of impatience, almost edginess about him. This was not his usual guarded nature. Was Rhett nervous, perhaps? Would they ever feel entirely at ease with each other like other couples or had too much happened? After last night, it was becoming increasingly unlikely. Scarlett might further push the issue that night when they arrived home, but she wouldn’t be surprised if Rhett refused to discuss his altered plans with her.

Scarlett's thoughts were interrupted when Mrs. Bonnell approached them as they sat awkwardly beside each other. She handed them each a black ribbon.

“What’s this for?” Rhett asked, hesitantly reaching out his hand.

“There have been too many losses in this family. Tie the ribbon around your wrist. This will protect both of you.”

Scarlett and Rhett looked at each other. Rhett shrugged and then proceeded to help Scarlett, without actually touching her. Scarlett had heard of such superstitions, but she had never actually witnessed them first hand. Some people feared that at least two deaths in the family meant there would be more. Both Charles and Melanie’s parents had passed a long time ago, and now both of their children were gone as well. Abruptly, Scarlett looked around the room for her nephew.

“Beau? Where is Beau, Mrs. Bonnell? Have you seen him?” Scarlett asked, searching the room for the little boy she had helped to bring into this world.

“He’s likely in his room. I’m not sure who’s with him. India said he refuses to come out,” Mrs. Bonnell offered, looking lost.

“I don’t blame him,” Rhett retorted softly.

Scarlett looked at him and wondered what Rhett was thinking. This was the second funeral in as many months, and she was confident that neither one of them had recovered yet from Bonnie’s loss.

Scarlett could only imagine how frightened Beau was.

“I’ll go see to him,” Scarlett said, preparing to stand.

“That would be wonderful, Scarlett,” Mrs. Bonnell said but stopped Scarlett by placing her hand on Scarlett’s shoulder. “Before you do, perhaps you could convince Ashley to join us."

Scarlett felt Rhett’s body stiffen beside her.

“Ashley?” Scarlett asked.

“India told me just now that the poor man refuses to leave Melly's room. Please ask Ashley to join us. It’s not proper for him to hide away from all these people.”

Scarlett’s eyes went from Mrs. Bonnell, who was watching her anxiously, to Rhett, whose weary eyes searched her face. It seemed that she would have to make good on her promise to Melly to take care of Ashley and Beau before she was ready to do so. Promising to look after Beau had been sincere, but she had hoped that she could leave Ashley alone. He was, after all, a grown man and could look after himself. Ashley was useless at running his mills and making enough money to support his family, but he should be able to make an appearance at his own wife’s viewing.

Going to Ashley at this moment, despite being asked to, would only lead to more vicious rumors, and there was no way Scarlett was going to open herself up to that kind of scandal. Melly would have understood, but she was not here any longer to soften any blows lobbed in Scarlett's direction.

Turning to Rhett, Scarlett stammered, “Rhett, I wonder if you would go find Ashley? Mrs. Bonnell is correct. He really should be out here as well.” Looking at Mrs. Bonnell, Scarlett smiled sweetly. “I really must attend to my nephew.”

“Ashley?” Rhett’s question echoed.

“Of course, he is in the bedroom. Please ask him to join us, Captain Butler,” Mrs. Bonnell encouraged, obviously confused by Scarlett’s refusal to seek out the man all of Atlanta believed her to be shamelessly chasing for years.

“Perhaps it would be best if someone else - erm his family spoke to him,” Rhett offered, and Scarlett tried not to smile at the absurdity of the situation.

“Everyone else has tried, and what will people say if he doesn’t attend to his company?” Mrs. Bonnell offered.

Scarlett looked at Rhett and imagined he would have as much success as a stranger at convincing Ashley to leave the comfort of his room. When she had left Ashley the night before, he had been a broken, shiftless man. Smiling weakly at Rhett, and fighting the urge to lay her hand on his arm, Scarlett stood and walked past him in search of her nephew.

There was no way Rhett or anyone else for that matter, could accuse her of chasing Ashley Wilkes mere hours after his wife’s death.

When Scarlett reached the boy’s room, she knocked as she opened the door. Beau was so shy, just like Charles and Melly had been, that he would probably not have answered.

“Beau, my darling, how are you?” Scarlett said in the softest voice she could muster. She looked around the room and was angry that in all the commotion, he had been left alone. Damn Ashley. Damn India. Damn Aunt Pitty. The boy was nine years old and was old enough to be left on his own but not at a time like this.

When the boy looked towards her, a tiny miniature of Ashley and Melanie, her heart lurched, and she fought to hold back tears. The boys’ cheeks were stained with tears, and his eyes were red.

Closing the door softly behind her, Scarlett swiftly crossed the room and sat on Beau’s bed beside him. Opening her arms, Scarlett was surprised when the boy climbed onto her lap. This was new for her. She was not openly affectionate with her own children and had no idea if she was even doing this correctly. Scarlett did not know what to say to a young boy who had just lost his mother. But a promise had been made to Melanie the night before that she would take care of Beau, and that was her overriding concern at this moment. Unlike her children, it had always been easier for her to be affectionate with Beau. Whether it was because she had brought him into the world on a night when it seemed Atlanta would come crashing down around them or because he had been Ashley’s son, the truth was Beau Wilkes had never shied away from her as her own children did.

“Auntie?” Beau’s words were muffled.“Why did my mama have to die?”

“Oh, Beau darling, I don’t know. I wish I -” Scarlett admitted, unable to offer up a satisfactory reason to the boy when she had been thinking the same thing since her arrival in Atlanta the day before.

“Did I do something bad?” Beau asked, a look of concern on his face.

She stroked his soft hair as he buried his head against her chest.

“Beauregard Wilkes, you did nothing wrong. Sometimes bad things happen, and there’s no explanation for it.”

“I miss her, Auntie.”

“So do I, Beau.” Shifting him ever so slightly in her arms so she could look in the brown, doe-like eyes that reminded her of both Melanie and Charles, Scarlett asked, “Beau, you know that I lost my mother, correct?”

“Yes.”

“I found out later that my mother died the very same day that you were born.”

“She did?”

“Yes.”

“Do you miss her?”

Scarlett nodded. “Everyday Beau.”

“I wish I could talk to mama one more time, Auntie,” Beau admitted quietly.

“You know that’s she’s still here with you. You can talk to her whenever you want.” Scarlett placed her hand over his heart, adding, “I still talk to my mother. Sometimes it helps, other times -”

“My daddy needs to talk to her.” Beau’s statement sounded more like a confession of an adult than a child, but Scarlett was confident that he was accurately reading his father’s sorrow.

“Yes. Yes, he does. He loved your mother very much.” If not for the conversation with Ashley the night before and the realization that he genuinely loved Melanie and not her, Scarlett might not have been able to utter those words.

“He’s sad,” the boy confessed hesitantly.

“And he will be for a very long time, Beau. You must be a brave boy for him.” Scarlett smiled at him and gently kissed his forehead, hoping that her words and actions were bringing her nephew some comfort. She knew that she wasn’t Melly and that Ashley would probably be unable to offer Beau much support for the foreseeable future. “I still get sad when I think about my parents and Bonnie.”

“You’re not going anywhere, Auntie?” Scarlett could hear the panic in the little boy’s voice. Losing his playmate and his mother in a few short weeks were most likely more than Beau could handle.

“No, Beau, I’m not going anywhere.” Scarlett held Beau and continued to comfort him. Here she was soothing Ashley’s son while Ashley was hiding in his room unable to show his face. This was all Ashley’s fault. Melly had no business having another baby, and she lay all the blame on Ashley. This little boy in her arms would still have his mother if his father hadn’t been such a weak man.

* * *

The irony of what he had been asked to do was not lost on Rhett. As he approached the door to the bedroom, he wondered what his wife and Mrs. Bonnell had been thinking when they insisted that he, of all people, try to convince Ashley to make an appearance at his own wife’s wake. A stranger plucked off the streets, or a Yankee captain would probably have better luck. Rhett didn’t even like Ashley, so how was he going to get through to the grief-stricken man, without making his feelings evident?

Rhett could count on one hand the number of conversations that he and Ashley had been forced to endure during their twelve-year acquaintance. Rhett had long avoided Ashley like the plague that he was. He had been polite and respectful out of consideration to Melanie when she had been alive, but Rhett wondered whether he would be able to hold back now that Melly was gone. Rhett had never disliked another man, save his father, more in his life. He was only doing this for Melly. It seems that even in death, Melanie was still able to get him to do things he didn’t want to or was ill-equipped to handle.

“Mr. Wilkes, it’s Captain Butler.” Knocking on the door, Rhett waited. When there was no answer, he knocked again.

“What do you want?”

Even the sound of Ashley’s pitiful voice made Rhett’s teeth grind in irritation. “May I come in?”

“I’d rather you didn’t, Captain Butler. I don’t wish to see anyone. Please leave me in peace.”

Rhett heard the crack in Ashley's last word.

Opening the door, against his better judgment, Rhett walked into the room where only hours before Melanie’s Wilke’s body lay. It could have been just his imagination, but the room smelled of death.

“There are a number of people out there who would like to speak to you,” Rhett offered.

“I thought I told you that I wanted to be left alone.” Ashley continued to ignore him, and instead focused his attention on events outside of the room through a tiny window.

“You did. But I’ve always had a hard time following orders,” Rhett smirked.

Closing the door behind him, Rhett leaned against it, not sure how to continue. It would have been far easier to walk away from this spineless man and shrug at his inability to convince him to join the others. No one would have blamed him for his failure. Instead, he was committed to honoring Melanie Wilke’s memory.

Rhett looked at Ashley, who sat in a chair by the window. Then he turned his gaze to the other window in the room. Ashley did not turn his head to look at him, and that suited Rhett. Perhaps it would be easier to maintain civility between them as long as neither looked at the other.

“Why are you here?” Ashley demanded quietly.

“Mrs. Bonnell thought-”

“All I keep thinking about, Captain Butler, is how disappointed Melly must have been in how our marriage, our life, worked out.”

“Excuse me?”

The words flew out of his mouth before he could stop himself. The last thing Rhett wanted was this worthless creature to confide in him. Was the person largely responsible for why his marriage had ended in disaster, hoping to unburden himself about his own marriage?

“My father did not tell me until after I returned from my Grand Tour, but I suppose I already knew that he and Melly’s father had intended for us to marry. We were cousins, you see. By the time my father made his wishes known to me, it was too late,” Ashley explained.

“Too late?” Rhett was sure he did not want to hear the rest, but his curiosity got the better of him.

“Within a week of my return from Europe, I went to Tara to visit Scarlett. Apparently, she had injured her ankle or something riding her horse and was not at Twelve Oaks the day I returned. I was only trying to be polite. Neighborly."

Rhett sensed a note of hesitation in Ashley's explanation.

“I guess she was a bit of a daredevil as a child,” Rhett suggested, unsure of what to say.

Ashley’s laugh was bitter and empty. “That’s always been our Scarlett.”

Rhett cringed at the ill-chosen word. Not ours. Mine.

“Scarlett was a child when I left for Europe, but upon my return, I found a beautiful, vivacious fourteen-year-old belle."

Rhett felt an uncontrollable urge to wipe the contemplative look off of Ashley's face.

A vivacious, young belle that he wanted to sleep with, Rhett thought to himself. Ashley had most likely hungered after Scarlett in much the same way as he had at first. Rhett could still remember how stunning and alive Scarlett was on the afternoon of the Twelve Oaks barbeque. She had taken his breath away when he saw her surveying the room in search of all her beaux. Maybe he and Ashley were not that different. Ashley had secretly lusted after Scarlett while Rhett had openly desired her. Ashley denied his feelings, and Rhett had embraced what he felt for her, not that he ever plainly told Scarlett the truth.

Scarlett was the common denominator in this whole mess.

“Melly was only a year or so older than Scarlett but when I returned home her Aunt Pittypat and Henry wanted us to wait to marry until she was a bit older and in better health. My father grudgingly accepted the delay. With Melly in Atlanta, that left me free to see Scarlett as often as I wanted to. We saw each other at picnics and dances, and we often went riding together. I enjoyed spending time with Scarlett. I was promised to Melly, but I did not think it would harm any of us to continue to be friends with Scarlett. I could see Scarlett's interest in me growing, and I'm ashamed that I did nothing to discourage her -" Ashley's voice trailed off.

Rhett intently studied his nemesis, trying hard not to lash out at him. Ashley spoke of his actions as though he was disconnected from the events.

"I did not realize how ungentlemanly my conduct had become until Gerald demanded an explanation of my intentions towards Scarlett. He was disgruntled, but I cannot blame him," Ashley admitted, wringing his hands on his lap. There was more to the story that Ashley probably wished could remain hidden.

“When did you speak to Mr. O’Hara?” Rhett demanded, still trying to process this new bit of information.

“Two weeks before the announcement of my engagement to Melly. Gerald asked me what my intentions were because people were starting to talk. We both knew that I would never be happy with Scarlett. In the two years since I had been back, I had never seen her once pick up a book. She was absorbed with dances, picnics, and socializing. But she was alive in ways I wasn't. I envied her, but I did not want to spend my life with her." At least Ashley had the foresight to look embarrassed. "My wedding date had to be moved up as a result of my actions."

At that moment, Rhett felt grateful to Gerald O’Hara for recognizing what he had been trying to tell Scarlett for years. Scarlett, for some reason, had never understood that Ashley would do nothing but make her unhappy. Rhett was also seething in anger. Ashley had known all along that he and Scarlett were too different, and yet he still pursued her. He wanted to wring the man’s neck.

“I honored my father’s wishes, and as you know, Melly and I announced our engagement the day the war was announced.”

Rhett wondered how much of this story Melanie was privy to. He suspected that Melly knew far more than she ever let on. Whether the rumors surrounding Ashley and Scarlett had reached Melanie's ears in Atlanta or whether on her visits to Twelve Oaks, she was made aware of their friendship, Rhett would never know, but he was confident Melanie Hamilton had been aware of all the gossip. Rhett had heard talk, probably from Frank, that their engagement was put on hold due to Melly’s poor health, but now he was sure it had likely been pushed up because of the war and the ongoing threat that Scarlett and Ashley’s relationship posed.

"Did you spend time alone with her?" Rhett asked, despite already knowing the answer.

"Often," Ashley confessed.

"And yet, no one saw anything improper with regards to your attention to Scarlett, and I was thrown out of my home for perceived inappropriate behavior." Rhett shook his head at the absurdity of such double-sided standards.

"I suppose," Ashley concurred.

"I can't imagine that your conversations with Scarlett were overly stimulating." Rhett knew this conversation was unnecessary, but he couldn't resist launching accusations and insults at the man who had been responsible for so much heartache. "Maybe stimulating is the wrong word."

"I can't explain it, but I was flattered by the attention of a beautiful young woman, so unlike the woman I was supposed to marry. I didn't want to hurt or embarrass Scarlett. How was I to know Scarlett would continue to think of me as more than just a friend? We were nothing alike. We shared no common interests. I thought she harbored an innocent crush towards me. Nothing more."

"You didn't know she would continue to pursue you?" Rhett did nothing to hide the disbelief in his voice. "But that is exactly what you wanted, isn't it?"

"I did not," Ashley insisted.

"Did you not ask Scarlett to look after Melly when you went back to the front? Did you not allow Scarlett to shelter you after the war? Give you a job?" Rhett demanded.

"I didn't mean to -"

"Did you not interfere with my marriage? I know it was you that put thoughts into Scarlett's head. You are the reason she wanted separate rooms. Did you outright suggest it to her?"

"Never. I would never - " Ashley sputtered.

"Nevertheless, the seed was planted by you."

"You didn't have to abide by Scarlett's wishes," Ashley insisted.

"I had no desire to continue to share a bed with a woman who wanted another man."

When Melly had been alive, Rhett had kept much of his thoughts to himself. There had been moments when Rhett had thought about physically lashing out, challenging Ashley to a duel, verbally assaulting the great Mr. Wilkes, but he never did. Melly would have been appalled, and Rhett would have lost one of his only friends. He respected Melly too much. He'd left Ashley Wilkes alone out of respect for his wife, but now Melly was gone, and nothing would harm her.

"You wait until your wife is dying to tell Scarlett that you never loved her. You could have spared us all from a decade of deceit and pain. Instead, you were selfish and destroyed, not just my marriage, but likely your own in the process. Did you ever know a peaceful, truthful day with Melly because she deserved that more than any of us? Melly deserved at least that."

"I didn't want to hurt Scarlett -"

"You hurt her anyways," Rhett spat out.

“You are right, and it does not excuse my behavior towards Scarlett after I married Melanie in any way. I need you to know that I truly care for Scarlett.”

With every moment that passed, Rhett’s understanding of the situation was growing more apparent. He had had his suspicions from the start, but this grieving man had told him much of what he had already surmised. Scarlett’s stubborn hold on a married man had been their downfall, but evidently, Ashley’s actions before his engagement, and after had confused the naive and conniving women he had fallen for.

“Did you tell ever Scarlett you loved her?”

“No. Never. I swear it.” Ashley turned his head to look at him.

“Did you ever tell Scarlett that you didn’t love her?”

“I tried. Last night she -”

“Damn it, Wilkes! You tried. Tried? Unfortunately, I recall an opportunity right before your engagement was announced, and it didn’t sound like you were trying too hard. How hard is it to tell someone you don’t love them? Especially a sheltered sixteen-year-old belle who knows nothing about the world.” Rhett had to stop himself from approaching Ashley, or he would kill him if he were any closer to the man. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, unconsciously balling them into fists.

“You overheard our conversation?” Ashley asked, his eyes betraying his humiliation.

“Every damn word. I was resting on the sofa when Scarlett professed her love to you.”

“You should have made yourself known,” Ashley scolded, but that only made Rhett angrier.

The damn fool thought that he and Scarlett were the only two people aware of that conversation. If his wife had not just died, and a house full of people awaited his appearance, Ashley Wilkes would be dead. Instead, Rhett attempted to keep his voice calm.

“Instead of telling her that you didn’t love her, you allowed her to not only cling to a girlish crush but to engage in some particularly destructive thinking and actions. You, sir, are no gentlemen.” It was not lost on Rhett that his wife had lobbed similar words at him once. “If you claim to care for Scarlett, please allow me to ask, and I realize that this is neither the time or the place to bring this up, but I wonder, if you cared so much for Scarlett, why did you allow her to marry Charles? You had to have known that she did it to spite you. And then you allowed her to come to Atlanta to seek me out after the war for tax money for Tara. I cannot believe that you did not know what she was willing to do to save that farm.”

At that moment, more than any other in their twelve-year acquaintance, Rhett hated Ashley.

“I don’t know why?”

“Yes, you do." Rhett moved closer to Ashley but stopped himself. He wasn't sure he trusted himself not to do something rash. "Neither Charles Hamilton nor Frank Kennedy was a threat to you. You knew she didn’t love them. You knew she was using them. As long as she was married to one of them, you were certain to retain her affection. But when -”

Rhett had been about to blurt out that he was different because he had actually loved Scarlett, but he caught himself before the words left his mouth. He had been a threat to Ashley’s fantasies. Any doubts he had about Ashley were gone. The man had harbored an illusion, a sexual fantasy mostly likely, for years towards Scarlett. But being a gentleman meant he could do nothing about it. Ashley had probably wanted to sleep with Scarlett, but his marriage to Melanie and his so-called honor had stopped him. Ashley Wilkes was as much of a gentleman as he was.

“You can’t possibly understand Mr. Wilkes how much I wish, at this moment, that I had killed you or at least let you die after that foolish raid.”

Rhett knew as he said the words that he could never have killed Ashley. Ashley would have died trying to avenge Scarlett’s honor after the attack outside of Shantytown, and where would that have left him? Ashley would have become a martyr forever worshiped by Scarlett, and he a murderer. Rhett had committed murder before but never in vain. Killing Ashley Wilkes would have served no purpose. It wouldn’t have made his life any better, but it felt good to say the words aloud.

“Me too, Captain Butler,” Ashley said softly. “Me too. Melly would still be alive.”

“Was that your idea too?”

“Excuse me?”

“Were you trying to prove that you were a man when your wife conceived?” Rhett remembered the happiness that had enveloped Melanie once she had become pregnant. Even in his drunken depression after Bonnie’s death, it had been clear to Rhett that Melanie had ignored every warning given to her about not bearing more children.

“No. The baby was Melly’s idea. When Scarlett survived her miscarriage, Melly believed that it was worth the risk. I loved her so much, and I let her talk me into it.” Rhett could not believe how pathetic Ashley sounded. "I couldn’t deny her."

“If I didn’t know the particulars of your life, Mr. Wilkes, I would buy that argument. But I have to wonder whether you were hoping that with Melly out of the way, you and Scarlett could somehow be together.”

“How dare you? I would never do such a thing and interfere in another man’s marriage,” Ashley insisted, rising from his seat.

“But that is precisely what you did for years,” Rhett retorted, and both men knew it was true. Ashley’s expression proved to Rhett that he knew he was responsible for the collapse of the Butler marriage. This man had irrevocably changed Scarlett. Ashley was a knight in shining armor. He had never been mean to Scarlett and had encouraged her infatuation with him. Ashley represented false security and a way of life Scarlett longed for. He had also never had to pay for his crimes against Scarlett publically. Scarlett had been branded as the villain following the incident at the mills. No one dared blame Ashley. It could never be the man’s fault.

Everyone in Atlanta had assumed it was a one-sided infatuation on Scarlett’s part, but Ashley had encouraged Scarlett’s actions for years. Ashley had let Scarlett take the blame for what had happened, and Rhett, while never believing the rumors and innuendos, had failed Scarlett as well. What had he done? He had taunted his wife and refused to defend her innocence. Instead, he had used his own money to allow Ashley and Melanie to buy the mills in a useless ploy to keep the two of them away from each other. That might have kept Scarlett and Ashley apart, but Scarlett’s reputation would have been irreparable given the rumors that abounded.

Both men were stunned by Rhett's next words. "No more. Scarlett is my wife, and that is not going to change."

This conversation, Rhett thought, had proven to be both insightful and useful. It had confirmed his suspicions, but it would alter little. He had failed his wife just as surely as the man sitting before him. His actions were worse. He has forsaken his wife and left her to the wolves.

“You need to go out there, Mr. Wilkes. For Melly’s sake and Beau’s.”

There was no way Rhett could stand spending another minute in the same room as Ashley.

“You are right, Captain Butler. Thank you.” Rhett eyed Ashley as he left the room.

But for all of Ashley’s many sins, Rhett knew he had also rejected Scarlett. And that was far worse. Ashley may have been the first to make her feel unloveable, but Rhett had confirmed it to her. What was worse was that Rhett had hated Ashley, but instead of lashing out at the man, he had taken his anger out on his wife. He was no better than Ashley Wilkes. He was far, far worse, and Rhett wasn't confident in his ability to fix the situation. Only time would tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do believe Ashley knew very early on that he was to marry Melanie, but for the sake of the conversation, I've had to alter some details, including Gerald's role. It should not come as a surprise after my first story, but I don't like Ashley Wilkes, and I avoid writing him as much as possible, but I felt compelled to include him in this story. I find him annoying (and sorry for him at times), and his duplicity in the Butler marriage irritates me. He is not solely to blame for the failure of the relationship between Scarlett and Rhett, but he played a role. 
> 
> Ashley's actions after his return from his Grand Tour are somewhat unclear. He was engaging in activities that Scarlett (not the most reflective of people) saw as courting before the BBQ, but he never told her that he loved her. But why would he go to Tara so often? Later on in the story, IMO, Ashley wanted Scarlett but couldn’t have her not just because she was married but because his morals wouldn’t allow him to be unfaithful to his wife. 
> 
> Rhett's actions are IMO as reckless as Scarlett's actions towards Ashley. Rhett chases a woman he loves who doesn't return his affections, marries her when she is in "love" with someone else, discovers that maybe she really isn't what he wanted, and then can't give her up when his life is transformed because of her. He also gets Scarlett to throw away her reputation, but he cannot succeed in getting his wife to dislodge Ashley from her life. IMO the loan to Ashley or the terms of Rhett's loan to Scarlett before they are married meant little to Rhett. Rhett hated that Ashley was in Atlanta and in his way after Gerald's death. I think that may have bothered him more than anything. Rhett would have stood a better chance with Scarlett if Ashley had gone up north. Selling the mills to Ashley was meant to keep them apart and quell the rumors following Ashley's birthday.
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked or left a Kudo for this story.


	5. A Very Great Lady

It had only been a matter of minutes, but to Rhett, who stood seemingly immobilized, it felt like hours had passed since Ashley's pathetic and shuffled departure. Easing his hands out of his pockets, Rhett looked down at his clenched fists and realized that his knuckles were turning white. His jaw was tight, and he was grinding his teeth. Even Rhett's shoulders felt tense; he would have to calm down before rejoining the house full of mourners.

No one could know what had transpired behind those closed doors.

His self-control had slipped during his conversation with Ashley, but there was no way anyone in the tiny house would find out about it. Rhett was not proud of himself, but he was no longer going to stay quiet where Scarlett and Ashley were concerned.

When he felt that he was calm enough to leave the room, Rhett took one last look at the bed in which Miss Melly had laid in just a day before, shut the door behind him, and went in search of Scarlett. Convincing Ashley to leave that damned room had taken longer than he imagined. Rhett had just spent more time with Ashley than he had in years, probably ever. If possible, he hated Ashley Wilkes even more now that so many truths had been confirmed. The man had undoubtedly never deserved Melanie Wilkes as a wife. Rhett would never understand why Scarlett had harbored such strong feelings for Ashley. The world had changed and moved on after the war ended, and Ashley Wilkes was stuck in a world that no longer existed and would be until the day he died.

The murmur of the people inside the tiny home reached Rhett's ears and reminded him of buzzing cicadas that infested Charleston every decade or so. While harmless, they were undoubtedly annoying, Rhett mused, like many of the people in this house. Only that wasn't quite true. Both he and Scarlett had suffered at the hands of many of the people under this very roof. Despite his campaign to ensure Bonnie's future, the good people of Atlanta would never have genuinely accepted him or Scarlett or any of their children.

Walking down the hallway, he found Scarlett sitting quietly, talking with Fanny Welburn, with a very quiet Beau clinging to her side. Almost instinctively, Scarlett looked up and eyed him warily. Looking at his pocket watch, he slowly approached Scarlett.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Wellburn." Turning to Scarlett, he said, "Scarlett, we still have some time before the train arrives from Marietta. We'll need to leave now if you want to run some errands and be able to meet the children when they arrive."

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry, Fanny. There are some arrangements I must make for Melly. I'm sorry -"

"No need to apologize, Scarlett. Melanie would appreciate it, I'm sure," Fanny said, lifting her handkerchief to dab at her teary eyes. "Goodbye, Scarlett. Captain Butler."

After promising Beau that she would see him soon and depositing the child with his father, Scarlett exchanged a few awkward words with Ashley, assuring him she would see to a number of details for Melly's funeral. Scarlett breathed a sigh of relief when she felt Rhett's hand on the small of her back. Steering her quietly from the house, Rhett helped her into their carriage, and they sat, barely exchanging more than a handful of words, as they made their way through Atlanta and eventually to the train station. They were still a few minutes early, despite the numerous stops Scarlett insisted on making.

"You wait in the carriage, and I'll meet the children and Prissy. It's much too hot on the platform today, Scarlett," Rhett announced and was amazed when Scarlett did not argue with him. Perhaps she needed the time away from him, as much as he needed a few minutes to think.

"If you wish, Rhett."

Rhett studied her for a moment. To his knowledge, his wife had uttered only a few words to Ashley the entire time they had been at the house, and that was only as they were leaving. Scarlett had briefly looked at Ashley before averting her eyes. As far as Rhett was concerned, he had been correct in his appraisal: his wife's affections towards Ashley had cooled.

Rhett stepped back from the carriage, and though Scarlett had turned her head away from him, he looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before proclaiming, "That man was an idiot for not marrying you."

Scarlett's head snapped back and her mouth opened in shock. Before she could speak or ask any questions, Rhett nodded and headed off into the crowd of people milling around the platform. Later on, Scarlett would be sure to demand an explanation, but for the moment, he needed to see with his own eyes if he had been correct in his overall assessment. Even as he walked away, Rhett wasn't convinced that he had discerned what he wanted to.

Once Wade and Ella had stumbled off the train a few minutes later, followed by a panicked and harried Prissy, who looked grateful to be relieved of her responsibilities, Rhett welcomed both children. Taking Ella by the hand, as the girl tended to wander and get lost, he led them to the carriage where Scarlett smiled at both children as they climbed into the carriage. Scarlett watched him as he helped the children, and Rhett could tell that had the children not been around, she would have interrogated him. Her features were a mixture of anger and confusion.

On the way home, the children's stories filled the space, and neither Scarlett or Rhett needed to do much but offer words of acknowledgment. Rhett could see the look of anger change to dread on Scarlett's face. She was probably wondering just how she would tell the children of Melly's death. Ella would cry, but Wade's reaction was what most likely was concerning her. The boy worshipped his Aunt Melly. For his entire life, his aunt had doted upon him and embraced him when his mother had been unreachable or preoccupied with other matters. Melly had offered the attention to the boy that Scarlett was unable to provide.

Rhett remembered finding Wade downstairs on the day that Bonnie had been born and recalled the conversation he had with the boy who was fearful of his mother's life. No one had bothered to explain to Wade what was happening and that his mother would be fine once she had her baby. Rhett had been so concerned with the birth of his first child that he had forgotten all about Wade and Ella. A feeling of shame washed over him.

Rhett, however, had not been far off from the truth when later on, he had told Wade that he was as much Melly as he was Scarlett's boy. Melly had read him stories, played with the boy, soothed his worries, kissed his childish cuts and scrapes, and sung him lullabies. Melly had offered him a gentleness that Scarlett had been unable or unwilling to give. Rhett still wasn't sure which was the case.

And now that security and stability was gone. Wade's whole life was about to change. A sudden gut-wrenching feeling of guilt hit Rhett as he pondered what his leaving would do to the boy. Until that moment, he had not truly considered what his departure would mean for Wade and Ella. He had accused Scarlett of being a bad mother, but he had almost done the same thing.

No. He had to admit he had not treated his two stepchildren very well since the birth of Bonnie. He had favored his own child over his stepchildren, and that had to stop. There was no way he could leave them. Wade and Ella loved their mother, and Scarlett would do everything to ensure they were well fed and clothed, and perhaps loved, but what would the combination of the loss of their aunt and their stepfather do to them? Was he so much like his father that he would turn his back on a child? Two children that since almost their birth, he had considered his?

Rhett exhaled, and Scarlett turned her head to him, questioning him with her eyes.

Upon their arrival at the house, as the luggage of the children and Scarlett, which had not accompanied her from Marietta the day before, were attended to, the children raced into the house and up to the nursery.

"I thought that we should wait until after dinner," Scarlett offered as she walked up the pathway to the house.

"I think that is a good idea, Scarlett."

"Rhett?" She turned to look at him before entering the house.

"Yes?"

"Will you be there when I tell them? I'm not sure -"

"Of course, Scarlett," Rhett interrupted. "I told you earlier that I would be there when you spoke to Wade and Ella." Before he could say anything else, Scarlett turned and walked briskly up the stairs leaving him in the foyer. She was unquestionably angry.

Scarlett's reaction to his appearance at the breakfast table, earlier that day, had been cold, and he had correctly read the anger and resignation in her eyes. Rhett had thought she would be happier to see him, and now he understood that he would need to figure out how to get through to her. Scarlett didn't trust him, but Rhett couldn't blame her for her weariness.

It would be a long road to revise their story, and Rhett had no clear idea of how he would accomplish it.

* * *

For the next few hours, both Scarlett and Rhett went through the motions of a typical day, both dreading the upcoming conversation, but more so the next day and its aftermath. When they were in the same room, Scarlett watched him, but then he was doing the same thing. They both quickly averted their eyes when caught examining each other.

Before Bonnie's death, the children had acted as a distraction during the rare instances when Scarlett and Rhett found themselves in the same room. It had led to both of them being on their best behavior so as not to argue in front of the children, thus worrying or scaring them. Both Scarlett and Rhett had found it difficult to be alone together for any length of time. Awkward silences led to too much thinking and hurt feelings. Today was no different.

Scarlett was subdued over dinner and allowed Rhett to steer the conversation with the children, mostly Ella, who found it necessary to recount every moment of the last twenty-four hours since Scarlett's departure from Marietta. Ella told her parents all about eating dinner in the room and the adventure of getting to the train station with only Prissy as supervision. She spoke of Wade's refusal to allow her to sit near the window and that he wouldn't play with her on the train and had ignored her in favor of the book he was reading. Wade rolled his eyes, and Rhett instantly thought back to his brother and the wariness of having an annoying younger sibling.

When dinner and dessert were finally cleared away, Scarlett cleared her throat and set her napkin on the table.

"Children, there's something that Rhett and I need to discuss with you." Scarlett tried to use the soothing tone that she distinctly remembered both her mother and Melly using periodically. It sounded foreign coming out of her mouth; how she wished that someone else could deliver this news.

"Yes, Mother?" Wade said, observing her before glancing nervously at his step-father.

"Yes, Mother?" Ella parroted her brother and sat up in her chair.

Scarlett looked at both her children for a moment before continuing. "You remember that Mother left Marietta rather suddenly yesterday?"

Both children nodded, Rhett could see that the little girl was already losing interest in the conversation.

"Well, you see, Rhett sent me a telegram asking that I return to Atlanta. It appears that Aunt Melly was very sick, and Rhett and Uncle Ashley knew that Aunt Melly wanted to see me. So I rushed home to take care of Aunt Melly," Scarlett paused suddenly, at a loss for words, and looked to Rhett. "Oh, Rhett, I don't know how to -"

Rhett exhaled, "What your mother is trying to tell you is that Aunt Melly was very sick."

"Is she all better?" Ella asked, bouncing slightly in her chair. "Can we go visit Auntie?"

"Yes, can we go over to see her?" Wade asked, looking earnestly at both his parents. A visit to the Ivy Street house would also allow Wade to tell his younger cousin all about his adventures in Marietta. "Maybe I can read to her. She reads to me when I'm sick."

"I have, I mean, your mother and I have some very sad news." Rhett looked at Scarlett briefly before turning to look at both children who were waiting for his approval of Wade's suggestion. "You see, Aunt Melly was sick for quite some time, and yesterday she died."

"Died? Like my daddy?" Ella whimpered. "Why?"

"Aunt Melly was just too sick, Ella, baby," Rhett whispered, fighting to keep the emotion out of his voice. "Her body just stopped working."

There was no way he was going to mention a baby. Rhett explicitly remembered when Bonnie had been born and the questions that Wade had asked, fearful that his mother was dying. Rhett watched as Ella's face went from confusion to a pucker before she started to cry, as the sadness took over her tiny body. She scrambled from her chair into Scarlett's arms, surprising both her parents. Wade sat in his chair quietly with tears pooling in his eyes and a look of terror on his face. He said nothing.

"Wade? You understand what I'm saying, son?" Rhett asked.

Wade did not respond.

"It's normal to feel sad, Wade. I know you loved your Aunt Melly and both your mother and I think it might be a good idea if you come tomorrow to her funeral. But we will leave that up to you to decide. You are becoming a young man. If you want to go with your mother and I, you can. When people die, we have special ceremonies called funerals, Wade, and tomorrow we are going to have one for your Aunt Melly. It's like a special goodbye, and people will be there and say beautiful things about Aunt Melly because she was such a good person. People might cry, and it will be sad, but that's what happens - and then, at the end of the ceremony, we will take the body to the cemetery, and Aunt Melly will be buried beside your father, Wade, and close to your sister." Rhett's voice cracked at the mention of Bonnie, and he looked over at the tears spilling down Scarlett's cheeks. Turning his attention back to Wade, Rhett noticed that the boy simply watched him. Rhett knew he should stop talking, but he couldn't stand the heavy silence that was sure to descend on the foursome. "You don't have to decide right now, Wade, and you can change your mind."

"I want to go," Ella sobbed, lifting her head from her mother's chest.

"No, Ella, you're too young," Scarlett purred, stroking her hair.

"Wade?"

Still, the boy said nothing. Rhett glanced at Scarlett.

"Wade, would you take your sister upstairs?" Rhett asked, trying to hide the concern in his voice. Wade took Ella by the hand and guided her out of the room.

"Wade?"

The boy looked around to look at his step-father.

"Your mother and I will be up shortly to say goodnight to you and Ella."

Rhett and Scarlett watched the children walk forlornly out of the room. He silently handed her a handkerchief and watched her dry her eyes; the intensity of his desire for a drink was overwhelming.

"Oh, Rhett, why won't Wade say anything?" Scarlett asked, dabbing at her tears.

"Give him time, Scarlett. He's just lost one of the most important people in his life. I'm sure he'll have questions by the time we go upstairs."

"I hope you're right, Rhett," Scarlett hesitated. "Thank you."

Rhett nodded and turned his head towards the stairs. He was worried about Wade. Could the boy handle any more bad news?

* * *

When Scarlett woke up the following morning, she could hear the steady patter of raindrops hitting the window of her bedroom before she opened her eyes. For some reason, the idea of rain falling on the day they were to lay Melanie Wilkes' in the ground soothed Scarlett's nerves. She would have been angry had the sun been shining and the birds singing. Scarlett had always felt rather sad when it rained and was glad that the weather fit her mood.

Sleep had eluded Scarlett the night before. Wade had not said a word to either her or Rhett when they both went to check on the children in the nursery. There had also been no chance to question Rhett. After softly shutting the door to the nursery, Rhett had bid her goodnight and disappeared into his bedroom for the rest of the evening. Scarlett was grateful that he hadn't left the house, but his presence in it made her uneasy. This truce that Rhett had decided on was inexplicable to her.

Rising from her warm bed, Scarlett rang for Prissy, who quietly helped her dress in a black crepe dress for Melanie's funeral. Scarlett couldn't help but think that she had spent too much time during her twenty-eight years, dressed in black and mourning for a loved one. First Charles, then her mother and father, followed by Frank and then finally her sweet Bonnie and now Melly. Rhett hated her in black and had said so countless times before, but it brought her some comfort now. She didn't know how long she would wear black but knew it would be some time before she would be out of mourning.

A short while later, Scarlett joined Rhett and the children downstairs at the dining room table. Ella was busy chattering to Rhett, who calmly answered her questions, but Wade sat quietly at the table, neither eating or listening to his sister.

Rhett's glance immediately met hers when she entered the room, but he promptly shook his head in answer to her silent question. Wade had yet to utter a word. Rhett was patient and asked him questions and did not get angry when he didn't answer. Once, over breakfast, Scarlett had opened her mouth to snap at her son, and when Rhett's hand covered hers in protest, she pulled it away as if burned. He watched her just as carefully as he did Wade.

Rhett looked at her pensively as she munched on a piece of toast and slowly drank her coffee.

"It's nearly time, Scarlett."

Scarlett nodded and looked at her daughter. "Ella, darling, go up to the nursery and play. We will be home later on." Turning to Wade, she said, "Wade, will you be coming with us?"

Wade looked at his mother and, without saying a word, crumpled up his napkin and fled from the room.

"Wade Hampton -"

"Scarlett," Rhett whispered, shaking his head.

"What?" she snapped.

"Maybe it's best Wade stays here. Give him some time. He's lost so much in the last few months."

"I know." Scarlett looked helplessly at him. "I know I shouldn't get angry with him but -"

"Scarlett, no one is questioning you. Certainly not me. Just give the boy time. I'll try speaking to him when we return from the cemetery."

"I'm just worried. Wade hasn't said a word since -"

"I know, Scarlett." Rhett looked helplessly towards the staircase. "I'm concerned too."

Helping Scarlett into her coat, Rhett opened the umbrella upon stepping out from the front door and assisted her into the awaiting carriage.

It stopped raining by the time they reached the Wilkes' house, where the funeral service itself was to be held. Despite the sheer number of people who wanted to be there, Ashley held firm that he wanted a small ceremony with just immediate family and friends. Anyone else was welcome to join in the procession or meet them at the cemetery for the actual burial of Melly's coffin. That had been his only request.

As Scarlett walked into the house, her nose immediately smelled baking, and her stomach lurched in revolt. The funeral biscuits that were often given out to guests were probably already wrapped in customary white paper and sealed with black wax. At least Ashley had refused to host the lavish meal that customarily followed a burial. Scarlett didn't think she could stand it.

As she passed by the tiny front room, Scarlett saw Hamilton and Wilkes' relatives who had traveled from Macon or elsewhere to Atlanta, along with Mrs. Elsing, Mrs. Bonnell, Mrs. Merriwether along with Grandpa Merriwether, and the Meades seated separately. Scarlett had never quite understood the concept of protecting mourners from observing any showing of grief from the family. Everyone knew there would be tears and possibly a display of grief by a spouse or parent, so it seemed senseless to separate visitors from the deceased's immediate family.

When Scarlett and Rhett peered into the tiny parlor, Ashley and Beau were seated closest to Melly's open coffin, surrounded by India, Aunt Pitty, and Uncle Henry. The minister stood off to the side, waiting for his cue to begin the service. Two empty chairs remained. Uncle Henry stood and approached Scarlett and Rhett.

"Ashley wanted you and Captain Butler to sit here. You are family, after all." Even Scarlett could see the sorrow in his eyes.

Scarlett felt Rhett's hand on the small of her back, guiding her towards her seat, and she fought every urge to step away from his possessive touch.

Sitting beside Rhett, Scarlett tried to focus on the service being performed by the minister, but her thoughts were firmly on Melly, who a short time before had stood with her as they had buried Bonnie. At least now, Scarlett was confident that Melly would protect Bonnie and her unborn child. It didn't ease the pain of either loss, but there was a measure of reassurance.

It was at that moment that Scarlett fully comprehended the magnitude of her feelings for Melanie. In her own way, Scarlett had grown to love her. Melanie, in the years since Scarlett's marriage to Melanie's brother, had become family. That had not changed when Scarlett remarried. Melanie was her sister. There may have been moments of disgust on Scarlett's part when she experienced jealousy over Melly's marriage to Ashley, or whenever Melly had defended her, but Melanie, Scarlett realized, had been her one true friend. Rhett had been correct in that statement. No one would ever fill that void, and there weren't any other women of her acquaintance in the running to be Scarlett's friend. She doubted that either Fanny or Maybelle would genuinely want to be friends with her.

And while Scarlett was confident that Melly was devoted to her, Scarlett knew that unwittingly she had been dedicated to Melly. She would never have left her in Atlanta before Beau's birth, and it had nothing to do with the promise she had made to Ashley the previous Christmas. Melanie had been by her side for the birth of Ella and Bonnie and the loss of the fourth. After the incident at the mills with Ashley, Melly had stood firmly beside her, challenging anyone to speak out against Scarlett. Scarlett realized then and there that Melanie was the only person who would have defended her. There had been that little disagreement over her disastrous crush, but otherwise, Melanie was her staunchest defender and friend.

And how had Scarlett repaid Melly for her many years of friendship? Scarlett was mortified that she had shamelessly pursued Ashley since that fateful April day.

Finally, her thoughts of Melanie overwhelmed Scarlett, and her struggle to hold back the tears ended as tears began to flow steadily down her cheeks. She felt bruised by her memories and numbness and emptiness that she was sure she would feel for the rest of her life. Scarlett wasn't ready to say goodbye to Melanie. Now more than ever, she needed her friend. Scarlett was unwilling to acknowledge the finality of Melanie's death and that she would never gaze upon her calm face, see the warmth in her eyes, or hear the firm determination in Melanie's soft voice. When Rhett handed her his handkerchief, she took it without question.

In a way, it was like losing her mother again, but only this time, she had a chance to say goodbye. Would anyone ever look at Scarlett with the same love that Melanie had for her?

Before Scarlett could come to an answer, the service was over. Scarlett could hear the shuffling of feet and chairs in the other room as guests stood and waited for the procession to the cemetery to begin. She looked away as Ashley and Beau took one last look at Melanie's body before the coffin was sealed.

"Pa, why is there a bell in there?"

No one had the heart to tell the frightened little boy the truth. It angered Scarlett that someone, probably Aunt Pitty, had insisted on the bell. Melanie was dead. She was not going to be buried alive by accident. Scarlett shook her head when asked by the minister if she wanted to see Melly's body. She simply couldn't and noticed that Rhett made no move to look either.

Scarlett looked on quietly as Hugh Elsing, Dr. Meade, Rene Picard, Grandpa Merriwether, Uncle Henry, as well as two of Ashley's Burr relations, and Rhett, acting as pallbearers, approached the coffin and carefully carried it out of the house, feet first, to the awaiting black carriages, all drawn by magnificent black horses.

The first carriage held the minister and the pallbearers minus Rhett, who quietly insisted on accompanying Scarlett, a gesture that surprised and mystified her. The man was a walking enigma. Melanie's coffin surrounded by flowers followed in the next carriage, which was adorned with black velvet coverings, while the last held Ashley, Beau, Aunt Pitty, Uncle Henry, and India.

Scarlett wondered how Ashley had managed to pay for this and then realized that he hadn't.

As Rhett helped her into their awaiting carriage, Scarlett asked, gesturing to the procession, "Rhett, did you arrange this?"

"I wanted to do something special for Miss Melly," he said quietly, turning his body towards her. Scarlett was not quite sure how to respond and instead sat back against the plush upholstery.

As the procession began to depart, the other guest exited the house for their own carriages, and those that had gathered outside prepared themselves to leave. Rhett sat quietly beside her as the convoy of carriages moved towards the cemetery. It had stopped raining sometime during the service, but as the procession weaved through Atlanta, it began to rain steadily once again.

By the time Melanie's coffin was lowered into the ground, the steady rain had become a deluge, but it did nothing to hide the sound Scarlett dreaded most. Scarlett cringed when she heard the thump of dirt hit Melanie's coffin. Now she knew why Will had insisted that Scarlett not be present when her father had been buried. Melanie Wilkes was truly gone, and the sound made it so real. Scarlett inhaled and felt Rhett's body stiffen beside her. He did not reach out to her but moved infinitely closer.

As Scarlett stared at Melly's grave, she was suddenly grateful that after the horrors of what had happened during the Yankee occupation of the war, Melanie's grave would be bricked over in the weeks that followed. Scarlett couldn't remember if something similar had been done with Charlie's grave, but she would ask Uncle Henry when the opportunity presented itself.

After Melly had been lowered into the ground, Rhett offered her his arm, and under cover of the umbrella, they returned to their waiting carriage to take them home. As she settled herself into the seat, cold and damp from being outside despite the umbrella that Rhett had held over them both, a loud clap of thunder sounded. Scarlett exhaled. Remembering an old tale, told to her by Melly years before, she was confident that Melly's soul had finally reached heaven. Scarlett had never had any doubts but was comforted by the idea nonetheless.

"Will you be leaving today?" Scarlett asked as the carriage lurched forward towards the house on Peachtree Street.

"No," Rhett said nothing further and did not look at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Needless to say, researching Victorian era funeral practices was a bit depressing, but I wanted to do right by Melly. 
> 
> Authors tend to focus so much on Scarlett and Rhett that we sometimes forget that those poor children don't have many people left in their lives to help them deal with the pain of losing Melanie and reassuring them in a time of tremendous change. All I could think about when outlining this story, but particularly this chapter and the next, was what poor Scarlett and Wade went through in their formative years. Before either of them had reached the age of 20 (Wade was 3 or 4 years old), they had both experienced the trauma of war, starvation, etc. and losing close family members. Wade has lost so many people in his young life, and I am sure that he was as traumatized as Scarlett was by the time the novel ends. I recently witnessed a similar episode to Wade’s reaction to Melly's death and it nearly broke my heart. A similar response from Wade was a possibility. 
> 
> One more chapter before we leave Atlanta...
> 
> I'm grateful for all your thoughts on the previous chapter. For the last few months, it has prevented me from publishing this story, and while I'm still not entirely happy with it, it is what it is. I'm also not done with A.W. in this story.
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked or left a Kudo for this story.


	6. No Woman Is An Island

Rhett, as promised, attempted to speak with Wade the night of Melanie’s funeral.

Like his mother, Wade did little more than push the food around his plate and hardly ate. He kept his eyes on his plate and did not say a word. The concerned looks from both Scarlett and Rhett went unnoticed by the boy.

Ella, on the other hand, chattered away through most of that evening’s meal, and neither Scarlett or Rhett had the heart to quiet her. At almost seven years of age, Ella still didn’t quite understand why both her parents and brother looked so sad. They took turns responding to her questions, but eventually, Ella noticed that neither of her parents was adequately paying attention to her, and she grew quiet.

Once the children had been excused from the table, after a mostly untouched supper, Rhett forced himself to go upstairs to the nursery, where Wade still slept and asked him a question. And then another. And then a third. The boy stared at him with his soft brown eyes and said, not a single word. When Rhett tousled Wade’s hair as he bid the boy goodnight, Wade did not flinch or smile or acknowledge the gesture. At a loss for what to do next, Rhett shrugged his shoulders as he passed Scarlett in the hallway. He hesitated for a moment, watching Scarlett close the nursery door behind her before going into his room.

The next morning, at the breakfast table, Rhett tried again. He received the same response: silence.

By the end of the second day, Scarlett had convinced herself that there was something terribly wrong with Wade. One moment he could speak, and the next, he couldn’t or wouldn’t. At times, it appeared that the boy was listening to their conversations or to a question directed at him, but most of the time, he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. When Wade was asked a question, no matter if it was Scarlett, Rhett, his sister, or one of the servants, he would just stare at the person without responding. Other times, it appeared that he was looking right past them.

Unsure of what to do or what was wrong, Scarlett insisted on sending Pork out for Dr. Meade. When the doctor arrived, he followed Scarlett quietly up the stairs to the nursery. Wade sat on his bed in the nursery he now shared with just Ella, staring at the mural that adorned the far wall. Ella sat on her bed, quietly talking to her dolls.

Dr. Meade placed his medical bag on the foot of Wade’s bed and turned to Scarlett.

“Perhaps, you could take Ella in the other room while I speak to Wade,” he told her.

“But, I want to -”

“Scarlett, let me speak to the boy alone. He’s getting to an age where he may not want his mother so close,” Dr. Meade insisted, any semblance of patience gone.

Scarlett looked at Ella and then at Rhett, who stared at her indifferently. Scarlett, realizing she would get no support from Rhett, held out her hand to Ella.

“Ella, bring your dolls or a book and come to Mother’s room. You can play in there before bed.”

Ella scooted off the bed and, after taking a long moment to pick out a book, scrambled out of the nursery past Rhett. Scarlett followed her without saying a word. When she heard the nursery door shut behind her and Rhett’s heavy footsteps as he walked to his bedroom, Scarlett went to join her daughter.

Scarlett sat in the chair in her room, looking at but not seeing the pages of the magazine on her lap. Ella had long abandoned her book when it became clear that her mother had no interest in reading it to her. Unable to read it fully on her own, the little girl was having a lively conversation with her dolls about something or other. It was a good thing Ella could easily entertain herself, Scarlett thought to herself.

Scarlett’s head snapped up when she finally heard the door to the nursery open and shut. She sprung from the chair and reached her bedroom door just as Dr. Meade stood outside it.

“What’s wrong with him? Did he tell you what’s wrong?” Scarlett asked breathlessly.

“Scarlett, when exactly did he stop talking?” Dr. Meade questioned.

“Just after we told him about Melanie.” Rhett’s voice boomed down the hallway. Scarlett had not even heard him come out of his room.

“I thought so,” Dr. Meade shook his head, looking from one concerned parent to the other. “There’s nothing physically wrong with him, Captain Butler, Scarlett. Most likely, he’s just sad about Mrs. Wilkes. The boy was very close to her.”

“Will he speak again? Can he speak?” Scarlett asked, nervously glancing from the doctor to her husband.

“When the boy is ready to speak, he will. He’s probably having a hard time dealing with it, especially having lost his sister a few months ago as well. Wade’s a quiet boy just like Charlie was. I’ll stop by to check in on him in a few days. But there’s not much we can do right now. Just keep talking to him,” the doctor said, adjusting his grip on his bag. It appeared to Scarlett that Doctor Meade was quite anxious to be on his way home. “I’ll show myself out. Goodnight, Scarlett, Captain Butler.”

Scarlett wrung her hands in front of her and then dropping them to her side, made to move past her husband. “I’ll just go in to see -”

Rhett put his hand out to stop her. “Let him be for a while, Scarlett. Go in and say goodnight when it's time to put Ella to sleep.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, Rhett,” Scarlett snapped, her eyes narrowing in a silent challenge.

Rhett sighed, his hand dropping to his side. “Goodnight, Scarlett.”

Scarlett watched him turn and walk back into his room, where she could hear his footsteps. At least he wasn’t going out. That might make it two nights in a row that Rhett was at home and not at that Watling woman’s place. Scarlett was sure he had spent a significant number of nights there recently.

But for once, Scarlett listened to Rhett and rejoined her daughter. Settling beside Ella on the bed, Scarlett began reading to the girl, not so much because she wanted to but because it gave her something to do other than worry about Wade or the state of her marriage to Rhett. She also did not notice that the door of his room was open as she sat reading to Ella, who was tucked snuggly against her body. As long as Ella didn't start fidgeting, Scarlett thought she could tolerate the little girl's presence.

Rhett still hadn’t told her when he was planning on leaving. It angered her that he could come and go as he pleased while she had to wait for, and then unquestionably, accept his decision.

That announcement did not come the next day or the day following. What did arrive on the following day was something altogether unexpected.

The morning after Dr. Meade’s visit, Scarlett did not feel in any rush to leave her bed. She was contemplating ringing for breakfast when there was a soft knock on the door. When the door opened, she was more than a little surprised to see Rhett with a breakfast tray in his hands. This was the first time in a long time that he had willingly entered her room.

“I thought you’d be hungry,” he offered, wavering on the threshold of the room.

Scarlett suspiciously eyed her husband. Rhett's face was bland, but there was no mocking note in his words. “I am. Thank you,” she said as she sat up in the bed that was now solely hers.

Rhett approached the bed and set the tray down across her lap.

“I’ll be out for most of the day, but I should be home later -”

“Rhett?” Scarlett interrupted, taking a bite of her toast.

“Yes, my pet?”

“Would you drive me to the store?”

His eyes narrowed as he searched her face.

“If you’d like.”

And thus began a morning ritual of Rhett bringing her breakfast and driving her to the store before he headed off wherever he was going. She had no idea where he spent his days. For all, Scarlett knew Rhett went to the bank every morning, or he could just as easily be idling away his days with that disgusting Watling creature. Somehow Scarlett didn’t think it was the latter. Every afternoon Rhett would pick her up and offer her a ride home before dinner. She pondered it for the first two days but asked no questions.

The awkwardness of those first few days in the Peachtree Street house extended into the next few weeks. Scarlett was not sure what to make of Rhett’s continued presence in the house. Rhett spent afternoons playing with Ella in the nursery, and he was home every night trying to get Wade to speak.

While Rhett seemed to watch her intently, he had neither kind or scornful words for her. He just studied her. The bland, indifferent look that Scarlett was used to had settled on his face.

Her initial concern for Wade ultimately became the focus of her days.

There was one subject that Scarlett did bring up, and that was Wade’s move from the nursery. When Wade was asked, he looked up at his mother and step-father and then went back to reading his book. When Pork moved the boy’s things from the nursery into the guest room across the hall from his mother’s room, Wade quietly sat on the bed. Scarlett stood beside Rhett and watched her son for a few minutes. When she parted from her husband in the hallway, she heard the quiet click of Wade’s door closing.

Neither Scarlett or Rhett knew if the move had been the right choice.

Whenever his parents or one of the servants looked in on Wade, the boy sat in his new room, staring at the wall across from his bed. Sometimes he would have a book, but most of the time he just sat there. Wade didn’t go outside to play. He had not seen his cousin Beau since before his Aunt Melly died. When the new tutor that Scarlett hired, Mr. Lane, came for lessons, Wade did not speak to the man. He would read and do the math questions in front of him, but little else. Wade would stare into space when Mr. Lane was busy with Ella. The little girl was eager to learn, but her nervous and restless energy did not make her the most attentive of pupils.

Scarlett had no idea how to fix this situation with her son. For the first time in a long time, she felt absolutely powerless and out of control.

In truth, it became more apparent to her that Rhett might be right. Scarlett did not know how to talk to or interact with her children. In the evenings following the return of the children from Marietta, she had learned more about Ella than she had previously been aware of. She was still uncomfortable in Wade’s presence, but it was becoming more enjoyable to sit with Ella. She would never, Scarlett realized, share the warm comradery that the Tarleton children did with their mother or that her own children had experienced with Melly. Scarlett wished she could joke and laugh with her children and generally feel relaxed in their presence, but the awkwardness did not diminish.

Every evening after their supper, Ella snuck into Scarlett’s room with a book and wanted to be read to. Most nights, the little girl fell asleep in her mother’s bed, the candle burning low, and Scarlett asleep beside her until Rhett wandered over from his room or from downstairs and found them. The first thought that went through his mind, as he lifted Ella from the bed, was always why it wasn’t his Bonnie that was sleeping beside Scarlett. He would have gladly sacrificed the closeness that he had shared with his darling girl to see her safely sleeping beside his wife rather than in the cold ground where she lay.

But Ella’s nightly presence in her room was not enough for Scarlett. She was lonely and bored and increasingly uneasy. During the day, the chatter and sounds of the servants and Ella served to distract her, but at night, it was different. She took over some of the children’s routines from Prissy, but it wasn’t enough. Something was missing.

Scarlett was also on edge. Most nights, as she read to Ella, she could hear Rhett pacing in his room. Back and Forth. Back and Forth. Part of her wanted him to leave for a few hours so that she could have some peace. While they no longer fought as they had earlier in their marriage, living with Rhett was like living with a stranger. They had reverted to what their lives had been like before Melly’s death, but with one significant difference - Rhett was home - every night.

When she and Rhett were in the same room, eating a meal with the children, or sitting in the parlor, Scarlett watched her husband. Rhett was at home, but they were strangers. The more she thought about her situation with Rhett, the more Scarlett realized there was only one person she could talk to or who might be able to help her. But would that person see her? Talk to her? Could that person help her to bridge the distance between her and Rhett?

The following morning, after informing Rhett that she had some errands to run and would not be going to the store, Scarlett set off on foot. Rhett had studied her face but asked no questions.

It felt good to walk. Other than her mornings at the store, there had not been much cause to leave the house on Peachtree. There was nowhere to go and no one to visit. The only home Scarlett would have visited now had no mistress to visit with.

When Scarlett finally stood outside of her destination, her hand on the gate, she paused. She wasn’t sure how she would be received. Scarlett had not willingly entered or been received in this home for quite some time. At least not on a social call.

Mrs. Meade was equally shocked to see her standing outside her home.

“Mrs. Meade,” Scarlett said when the door was opened.

“Scarlett?” Mrs. Meade looked around, searching for a clue to the riddle before her. "Are you here to see my husband?"

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping I could speak with you," Scarlett said, shaking her head. "Is this a bad time?” she continued, trying to keep her voice indeterminate and not show how nervous she was.

“No. Would you like to come in?”

Scarlett could hear the hesitation in the older woman’s voice. Neither woman, based on their upbringing, mentioned the fact that Scarlett showing up unannounced at the Meade house was both unconventional and improper, despite some relaxation of social rules since the war.

As Scarlett was shown into the parlor and offered a seat, she glanced at the pictures of Darcy and Phil Meade prominently displayed on the mantle. Both boys, the only children of Dr. and Mrs. Meade, had died during the war. Darcy had fallen at Gettysburg with countless other young Southern heroes, and Phil, the youngest who had joined the army later in the war, perished defending Atlanta.

Scarlett, sensing Mrs. Meade’s curiosity, took one last look at the portraits, and before the older woman could offer her a refreshment, asked: “How did you do it, Mrs. Meade?”

“Do what, Scarlett?” Mrs. Meade asked, sitting down in the nearest chair to her in the parlor.

“How did you - I mean, you and Dr. Meade - survive the loss of Phil and Darcy?”

This was not what Mrs. Meade had expected upon finding Scarlett outside her door. Studying Scarlett’s face, Mrs. Meade tried to understand what the motivation was behind this rather personal question, and then she instantly understood.

Bonnie.

“We had no choice,” Mrs. Meade replied slowly, her eyes lingering on her boys' timeless faces.

“But what did you do? How did you get through it?” Scarlett insisted.

“We just decided to survive it,” Mrs. Meade said honestly. No one, not even one of her friends, had asked her this question. "Together."

“Together?”

Mrs. Meade squared her shoulders. The Old Guard of Atlanta may have whispered nasty words about the woman sitting in front of her, but Mrs. Meade could see the desperation in the younger woman’s eyes. “It was hard at first, but Dr. Meade and I loved each other. He was all I had left. There has been nothing more tragic in my life, Scarlett, than losing both my boys. I’ve never told anyone, but it felt so unnatural. I know many women who have lost children, young infants, or toddlers, and while I understand that horrible things happen, the pain was excruciating, Scarlett. I felt numb at first.”

“When does it stop?” Scarlett questioned, trying to keep the tears at bay.

Mrs. Meade shook her head. “It doesn’t really. Some days I still feel it. Even now, almost a decade later, there are days where I look towards the door, hoping they will both come walking through it.” Mrs. Meade fell quiet for a few moments before continuing. She could not believe she was having this conversation with the woman sitting before her, but it felt good to talk about it with someone who understood her pain. “For months afterward, I felt like I was simply existing. I didn’t want to leave the house or get dressed or go to the hospital. I had to think about everything - eating, walking, breathing. I was their mother, and I should have protected them. It didn’t matter how old they were or that they were soldiers. I should have died first."

“I should have protected her,” Scarlett whispered, but Mrs. Meade didn’t seem to hear her.

“I should have been proud of their sacrifice, but I’ll tell you, Scarlett, I wasn’t. Only Doctor Meade knows how I feel. I’ve never told anyone, not even Dolly Merri - I mean Mrs. Merriwether or Mrs. Elsing, my dearest friends, how I feel," Mrs. Meade sighed. "Would they understand? What did I have left? My husband had his work, and the war was taking a lot of his time, but I felt that I had nothing when Darcy and Phil were killed. I thought I had lived my life, and I tried to be a good person, but maybe losing both boys was God’s way of telling me that I wasn’t. As long as the war went on, I could believe that they were both off fighting, but once the war ended, I couldn’t pretend any longer. I should have stopped my Phil from joining the army. He was just a boy. He had no business fighting, but what could I do?” Mrs. Meade stopped talking and looked at Scarlett in earnest. “Everything was clouded. I went through the motions of life some days. Doctor Meade would find me in the middle of the room, and when he asked me what I was doing, I couldn’t remember why I was there. And I was so angry. And then, one day, something happened -”

“What?” Scarlett asked, and for one of the first times in her life, she was interested in what someone had to say, not because it would benefit her but because she felt a bond forming with Mrs. Meade.

“I looked at my husband and saw he was hurting, just like I was and reached out to him. We talked about the boys. I didn’t blame him for not hurting the way I did. He hurt but just expressed it differently. He worked to get through his pain,” Mrs. Meade paused and smiled. “We began to speak about the boys most evenings when we were alone. We remembered when the boys were young and the silly games they would play and how they were best friends. We would simply sit and talk about them together. And some days were terrible, and he just listened and let me cry. I realized something else, Scarlett.”

“What was that, Mrs. Meade?”

“I realized that neither one of my boys would like the way I had been living, and so I decided not to move on but just to start living again. Dr. Meade and I had to get on with the daily task of living our lives.”

“I wish I could help Rhett, Mrs. Meade. I wish I could -”

"Scarlett, stop wishing and do something before it is too late, " Mrs. Meade said and then paused, watching Scarlett closely. "Everyone in Atlanta has heard some of the stories about you and your husband, Scarlett but especially about Bonnie sleeping in the same room as -”

“Bonnie was afraid of the dark. She -”

“Scarlett, we all know that Captain Butler loved that little girl," Mrs. Meade interrupted and studied Scarlett’s reaction, "but she became an obstacle between the two of you, and no child should be put in that position. And Bonnie was not the only problem, was she?”

Mrs. Meade watched as Scarlett tried to rearrange her facial features to hide the shock and hurt of the truth.

"I don't know what you mean -" Scarlett sputtered.

“Scarlett, I don’t want to sound harsh or judgmental, but I have to be honest with you. I knew your mother quite well, and I know that she has been gone for quite some time, so I would be remiss not to say something to you on her behalf." Mrs. Meade tried to keep her voice soft, but the words still rankled. "I don’t like to say this, but she would be disappointed with you. The rumors about Ashley. Marrying Suellen's beau. Marrying Captain Butler. Many of your actions after the war." When Scarlett did not interrupt, Mrs. Meade added, "It's time for you to consider the consequences of your actions. Start with Captain Butler."

“I don’t know how to help him? Us?” Scarlett admitted, knowing that there was more than just some truth to Mrs. Meade's observations.

“You’ll think of something, Scarlett.” Mrs. Meade smiled. “But consider how he must feel. If you are too proud to consider his feelings or too proud to reach out, neither of you will survive this loss.”

The problem, Scarlett thought later that night in the safety of her bedroom, was that all Rhett and she had ever managed to do was push each other away. After his departure on the road to Tara, she had struggled to trust him, and recent events had clearly illustrated that Rhett didn't trust her very much either. There had been little honest communication between them. She never knew what he was thinking, and for the longest time, between her thoughts of Ashley, the mills, and her stores, Scarlett hadn’t cared as long as Rhett paid her bills. Marrying Rhett had provided her with the freedom to focus on the things she had deemed vital.

In truth, she had focused on the wrong things.

Since Melly's death, Scarlett's thoughts had turned to her scant memories of their life together before everything went horribly wrong. Could Rhett recall their late-night conversations when they had spoken of everything and nothing? She missed lying in his arms with her head resting on his chest, with only the light of his cigar flickering in the dark room. Did Rhett miss wrapping her hair around his throat as they drifted off to sleep, his arm protectively around her, her body tucked tightly against his own? Did he miss dancing with her at the numerous balls they had attended early in their relationship? Rhett had always held her too closely and had cared little that dancing with only his wife would spark gossip about their inappropriate ways.

Mrs. Meade had said something about Bonnie coming between her and Rhett. She wasn't wrong. But was their marriage worth saving? All Scarlett could think about was the lies that Rhett had hidden behind along with the cruelty that he had inflicted on her at times. Sometimes, Scarlett wondered why Rhett had ever bothered to marry her at all? All he seemed to care about was hurting her and punishing her for her misguided feelings towards Ashley.

Feelings that she had never hidden from him.

Some of the blame indeed rested with her. Scarlett understood that now. Conceivably, she wasn’t the first woman who had done something stupid in pursuit of a man. Somewhere in her life, Scarlett had lost who she was. Rhett had always encouraged her to be herself. All he asked in return was her love. No. He hadn’t even asked her for that. He had kept that hope carefully hidden. How could she have given it when she didn’t have any idea that that was what he wanted from her?

Doctor and Mrs. Meade had reached for each other amid their grief, but Scarlett wasn't confident she could do that with Rhett. Could Rhett be trusted and expected to help shoulder the burdens of life with her, whatever that might be? When the next thing went wrong, would he run away? And what about now? Had he meant those hurtful words on the night that Melly died, or was it possible that he still loved her?

And then Scarlett realized that for the last few weeks, they had both been fighting an urge. The awkward silence had really been anxiety. For her, it was the uncertainty of what he was thinking and why he hadn’t left her on the night of Melly’s death as he had initially planned. She didn’t like the suspense of this new life with Rhett.

Rhett's actions were harder for her to understand. Was he fighting an urge to make things right between them? To let his guard down? To trust in her words of love? It seemed that for too long, he had guarded his heart, and now he wasn’t willing to put his pride on the line once more. What was she supposed to do now? Reach out to him and try to console him? Other than extending his arm to her during Melly's funeral, he hadn’t touched her in months. She had hurt him with her actions, and he was keeping her at arm's length.

Scarlett suddenly turned her head towards the hallway. She could hear Rhett beyond that closed door, engaged in his nightly hobby of incessant pacing. Tonight, however, she could no longer tolerate it. When she was confident that Ela had fallen asleep, Scarlett tiptoed across the hall to Rhett’s room and saw that the door was ajar.

“Your constant pacing is driving me to distraction, Rhett!” She blurted out, causing Rhett to turn abruptly towards her.

“Would you prefer I stay elsewhere, Mrs. Butler?" He took a deep inhale of his cigar before offering, "At least until we figure this out?"

“Elsewhere? Figure what out? Stop talking in riddles, Rhett. I can’t stand this anymore,” Scarlett sighed.

Was it possible that she really was an open book, and that Rhett could read her thoughts?

“Yes, elsewhere. If I am bothering you, maybe I should stay somewhere else,” Rhett repeated. His dark eyes burned into her, searching for a clue to what she was seeking.

“How could we explain it?” Scarlett tried to hide the panic.

That was the last thing she wanted. How had this discussion gone wrong so quickly?

“Why do we have to explain anything to anyone, Scarlett? You know what I think about reputations and social expectations.”

“If you don’t want to be here, Rhett, then please go.” Scarlett lifted her chin defiantly but felt the discussion moving in a direction she couldn't control.

“You’re the one, my pet, who entered my room. Do you want me here?”

“Do you even have to ask?” Scarlett shot back.

For a moment, Rhett studied her carefully before his facial features softened, and he replied, “I do, Scarlett. If we want to be honest and stop making assumptions and getting it wrong, we need to both be clear with our intentions.”

“I would like for you to stay here,” Scarlett quietly admitted. There would be no way to rectify things if Rhett left, not that Scarlett was sure yet that that was what she wanted. "I don’t want to hear you moving around your room when you should -”

“When I should - what, Scarlett?” Rhett demanded, taking a step closer to her.

“When you should be in mine.”

Rhett smirked. “Finally. It took you long enough to admit it. Four years, Scarlett. Four years.”

The insults or accusations that she had long feared did not materialize, so Scarlett stepped further into the room and continued, “I thought we were being honest with each other.”

“We are.” Scarlett watched her husband quietly smoke his cigar. “I will move down the hall tomorrow, Scarlett.”

“What?” Scarlett exclaimed, suddenly confused. “I thought -”

“I’m not ready to share a room with you, my pet,” Rhett admitted.

She had put her feelings out there, and once again, Rhett had destroyed her pride. Feeling her anger rising at him, she spat out, “If you don’t love me, then I don’t want to do this, continue living like this. I won’t pretend. I won’t love a man who doesn’t love me, Rhett Butler.”

“Why not? You did it for years with him?”

“I never loved him, Rhett. I’ve already told you that. If you don’t believe me, that’s your problem.” Scarlett spun her body away from him and was halfway to the door when she heard his drawling voice reach out to her.

“We hurt each other for years, Scarlett, and I won't go through that again."

Scarlett turned to look at Rhett. Either way, she needed to know how this ended. The limbo was too much. She was desperate to move on with him or without him. She wanted closure. Did she still want him? Did she love him? Did she need him? Was her life easier without him? Could she forgive him? Could they forgive each other?

“Scarlett,” Rhett sighed, suddenly looking much older than his forty-five years, ”there is no way we can discuss everything that has happened in the last twelve years. If you can be honest with me from today forwards, I will do the same. Ask me any questions you may have. Let’s both promise to stop jumping to conclusions. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

“Scarlett, I will be honest with you right now. I still don’t know what I want from you or this marriage, but I’m still here. I’m trying to figure it out,” Rhett admitted, searching her face for a spark of anger.

“Rhett?” Scarlett asked.

“Yes, my pet?”

"When you went to get the children at the train depot that day, you said something about Ashley," Scarlett hesitated. There could be no more secrets between them or misunderstandings, but this next question threatened to break the fragile truce that had held for several weeks. "What did you mean?"

"Scarlett, I was angry when I said that, and I shouldn't have said it, but let's not discuss it tonight. We're both tired, and it's been - "

"So much for being honest, Rhett." Scarlett felt a wave of anger crash over her.

Looking at her husband now and waiting for him to respond, Scarlett was reminded of when they had been first married. Every time she looked for him in a crowded room, he was watching her with a bland, uninterested look in his eyes. When their eyes met, he always turned away to resume his conversations, but she knew that within minutes he would be watching her once again. She had not understood him then, and she still didn’t. But she recognized the look on his face.

**End of Part One**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pride is so crucial to both Scarlett and Rhett, and ultimately, their reluctance to shove it aside destroys any opportunity for them to find happiness with each other. I wish I could reach into the pages of GWtW and inform Scarlett that she is an idiot for kicking Rhett out of her bedroom. I waited in vain for her to swallow her pride and tell Rhett the truth, but I also wish Rhett had reacted differently because his reaction is both mind-boggling and predictable. Scarlett broke their "contract," but I wanted a different response from Rhett. Scarlett and Rhett also had a hard time listening to each other and were always bringing up each other's "bad" behaviors. They would have benefitted from "picking their battles."
> 
> I'm not sure that either Rhett or Scarlett are well equipped to deal with the loss of Bonnie as a couple. Given the nature of their relationship before their loss, the odds of the marriage surviving were not good, but because this is my fanfic, hopefully, Scarlett has learned something from Mrs. Meade. Only time will tell...not in this chapter obviously.
> 
> Rhett was not quite ready to address his earlier statement to Scarlett about Ashley, but he will eventually. I promise.
> 
> The next chapter will see us leaving Atlanta for a while...unlike this author who was going to post the next chapter from the Caribbean:(
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked or left a Kudo for this story.


	7. Meet The Butlers

**Part Two**

When her eyes fluttered open the following morning, Scarlett instantly felt a wave of anxiety flood her body. The night before, she had said things to Rhett that she knew she would regret. Her conversation with Mrs. Meade had lulled her into a false sense of optimism, and she had been more honest with her husband than she had been since the night of Melly's death.

And Rhett had thrown her admission back at her almost as if it meant nothing to him.

Scarlett had admitted to regretting turning him out of her bed after Bonnie's birth, and in response, Rhett had suggested a move to a bedroom even further away from her. He hadn't teased her or insulted her, but Scarlett cringed at her honesty nonetheless.

If only Rhett had been more forthcoming with his thoughts. He had said he wanted them to be more honest with each other and then refused to explain himself. The irrational anger she had exhibited before stalking out of Rhett's room had likely not helped either.

Laying her head on her pillow the night before, Scarlett was fearful of what the next morning would bring. However, Scarlett's fear that Rhett would be gone when she awoke the following morning never came to fruition. Instead, after hastily preparing for the day ahead, Scarlett rushed down to the dining room where she found that Rhett was already at the breakfast table focused on Ella, who would not leave him in peace to read his newspaper.

"Ella, darling, let Uncle Rhett read his paper in peace," Scarlett chastised, as she took her place opposite Rhett at the breakfast table. Lifting the cloth napkin, she placed it on her lap.

"Scarlett, it's perfectly fine," Rhett said, turning his head back to his step-daughter, who cautiously watched her mother.

The children had never been immune from Scarlett's temper and had also learned to read the signs of potential irritation.

"Miss Ella was just telling me about what she'd like for her birthday."

"If you're sure she's no bother -"

"I do have some news for you, my pet."

Scarlett's heart constricted, and her coffee cup stopped midway between her lips and the table upon hearing Rhett's comment. Maybe she _had_ pushed him too far last night. But she couldn't believe he would bring it up in front of the children. Rhett pushed a telegram across the table towards her.

"Is it bad news?" Scarlett tried to keep the panic out of her voice and hoped that he was too distracted by Ella to notice.

"Read it." Rhett's voice suggested that he had not missed her worried tone.

"Did something happen?" Scarlett said, setting her cup down.

"Read it, Scarlett." Rhett shifted his focus away from the little girl and said calmly, "I'd like to know what you think."

Had it been a bundle of papers, Scarlett would never have touched it. Divorce papers, she imagined, were thicker than a telegram. With shaking hands, she managed to unfold the telegram and quickly read over its contents.

"Is this a joke?" Scarlett asked, unable to keep the resentment out of her tone.

"That seems unlikely given the author," Rhett admitted, smirking gently at the look of annoyance that crept over his wife's face.

**My dearest Rhett,**

**I had expected a response from you much sooner, but given the events of the last few months, I will not hold your silence against you. Your beloved sister Rosemary is adamant that she will not be married until her eldest brother is in Charleston. Though the glorious day is not until December, Rosemary insists that you and Scarlett and the children travel to Charleston immediately and remain with us until the wedding. Your presence at the pre-wedding festivities that your darling sister has planned is non-negotiable. I'm afraid that she will not take no for an answer, so do not bother. I will give you one week for both you and Scarlett to take care of any business you may have in Atlanta, but then you will be required to appear in Charleston. Christmas will be celebrated at the Battery house. Please do not ignore my wishes.**

**All my love,**

**Mother**

Scarlett looked at her husband and nervously laughed. "Is this an invitation or an order, Rhett?"

"What do you think?" Rhett shrugged his shoulders and studied her.

"Wade? Ella? Would you please go up to your rooms?" Taking a sip of her coffee, Scarlett watched the children obediently follow her request. When they were safely up the stairs, she continued, "Rhett, I won't be going to Charleston."

"Scarlett -"

"No." She pushed the telegram back towards him. "I refuse to go to Charleston. I am going home to Tara."

"Tara?"

"Yes, Tara."

"Scarlett, what will people say when I appear at a family function without my wife and children?"

"It's not my concern, Rhett."

"It isn't? Word will make its way back to Atlanta that you didn't attend your own sister-in-law's wedding. I can't protect your reputation if you insist on throwing it away."

"Rhett, my reputation, thanks to both of us, is already in tatters, and I have no intention of ever again setting foot in Charleston."

"And yet it seems that unless you plan on making Mother unhappy, you will be spending the foreseeable future in the Holy City," Rhett insisted.

"The what?" Scarlett tilted her head in confusion.

"Never mind, Scarlett," Rhett smirked. "My mother is not a woman to be ignored."

Scarlett sat quietly for a moment. Rhett had spoken of honesty the night before, and she was going to try once again to see if he meant it.

"Why now, Rhett? You were never very concerned with my meeting your mother." A pregnant pause fell over the table. "Are you ashamed of me? Of my children?"

"I don't understand what - " Rhett faltered, his smirk disappearing.

"I've only met your mother that one time, Rhett. You've never introduced me to your family," Scarlett challenged. "You've never taken me anywhere. What am I supposed to think?"

"I wanted to show you the world, Scarlett."

It was neither an affirmation or a denial.

"Then, why didn't you? New Orleans is not the world, Rhett. You never took me to Charleston or Savannah? I stayed behind when you took Wade to New Orleans and Bonnie to visit your mother and wherever else you took her," Scarlett pointed out.

"You chose to stay here with your store and the mills and your precious -"

"Don't say it, Rhett," Scarlett warned. "I can't just pick up and leave the way you always seem to. I have a business and other responsibilities. I have three - two young children -"

"Scarlett -"

"No!" Scarlett exclaimed. "Rhett, it does not matter. I'm not going anywhere, but Tara."

"Scarlett, come with me to Charleston, and then I'll go with you to Tara," Rhett offered, which startled Scarlett. Her husband had never been to Tara and had never really expressed any interest in her family home, other than by helping her after they were first married. "We can arrange for Henry to look over the books and ensure that everything runs smoothly in your absence," Rhett explained.

"But what about -"

"Scarlett, have you run out of excuses in that pretty little head of yours? You. Are. Going. To. Charleston."

"But Rhett surely you don't want to go, either," Scarlett countered.

"I'm indifferent, my pet."

Tossing her napkin on the table, Scarlett declared, "Oh, Rhett, I hate Charleston."

"The city of my birth. You wound me," Rhett retorted, with an injured look on his face.

"This has nothing to do with you. You are the most arrogant man I have ever had the displeasure of knowing. I went to Charleston just after Wade was born. My mother thought that I needed to spend some time away from Tara. I found the people mean and snobbish," Scarlett confessed.

"I'm sure you did," Rhett said, looking only mildly interested in the discussion. "Charlestonians are rather odd in their treatment of interlopers."

Scarlett glared at her husband and mumbled something that Rhett could not hear.

"Oh no!" she suddenly exclaimed.

"What? Did you uncover another futile excuse?"

"Oh, dear. If I go to Charleston, that means I will be forced to spend time with my Aunts Pauline and Eulalie. I'll have to attend afternoon tea with them."

The look of displeasure on Scarlett's face made Rhett roar with laughter. "I imagine that you will have to suffer that inconvenience. Unfortunately, we will see a great deal of both your aunts while we are there."

"Why do you say that?" Scarlett asked.

"Have you forgotten that your Aunt Eulalie is one of my mother's best friends? Therefore, their presence in my mother's home, as well as at the wedding, will be unavoidable."

"I just won't go. And besides Wade is not well and Ella has just started with the tutor -"

"A change of scenery will be good for the boy, Scarlett, and we can arrange for Ella to continue with a tutor when we are there," Rhett suggested.

"Rhett, why are you forcing this? Go without me," she hesitated. "You're used to going to see your mother without me."

"Scarlett," Rhett's voice lowered dangerously. "Whether either of us likes it or not, we are going to Charleston. Together."

* * *

What had seemed like a good idea in the sun-drenched dining room in Atlanta had lost much of its luster as the Georgia countryside blended into South Carolina. Only in his wildest dreams, and later, his darkest nightmares, had Rhett ever imagined he would be in a private train car, traveling towards the city of his birth with Scarlett and his stepchildren in tow.

Scarlett was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed that for quite some time, he had been staring intently at her with a frown on his face. Since the arrival of his mother's telegram, Rhett had wondered whether he had made the right decision in insisting that Scarlett accompany him to Charleston. Rhett knew he could have gone on his own, but this new reality with Scarlett was still somewhat strange. He had no idea what they were doing, what he was doing. Rhett still had no idea why he had listened to Henry. Every day for the last few weeks, he had had to physically stop himself from packing his bags and leaving town. Pacing his room for hours every night, Rhett listened while Scarlett read to Ella, and that was the only thing that prevented him from going to Belle's to forget himself in some warm body. He couldn't even have a drink. Rhett still didn't trust himself, and he had no idea what he meant by staying.

Rhett did not know if he had the energy to take Scarlett and the children with him back to Charleston and pretend that he and his wife were happy in front of his family. Neither of them, he was confident, was up to the task of fooling anyone or putting on a show. He certainly did not. Eleanor Butler would see through his and Scarlett's charades. In the Peachtree Street monstrosity, they had remained civil and aloof and suspicious of each other. They had coexisted because no one was watching them. Other than the children or servants, there was no one to see the wreck of a marriage they had created.

In Charleston, there would be no place to hide.

If not for the obligation he felt towards his mother and sister, Rhett would never have willingly set foot in the city that had turned its back on him in his tender youth and pushed him into the world with only his wits and luck to guide him. As an advantaged teenager Charleston, though stagnant, had offered many opportunities for boys like him to drink, gamble, and consort with the fairer sex. Today, he detested Charleston and its people, as much as he had on that dark day almost twenty-five years before.

And the good people of Charleston had no intention of welcoming him back into the fold. No money or acts of repentance would change their minds. Rhett knew that he might be one of its wealthiest former citizens, but that wasn't enough to erase his past sins. Marrying a Robillard had done little to redeem him amongst Charleston's Old Guard. Most of Charleston's oldest families had relatives or friends in Atlanta and had heard the scandalous stories of him and Scarlett.

Rhett's campaign to restore his reputation for the sake of Bonnie's future may have temporarily succeeded in Atlanta, but had little effect elsewhere. When he had taken Bonnie and fled Atlanta, Charleston had seemed like an excellent place to escape. He had known that Scarlett would never follow him there even if she could be pried away from Ashley Wilkes for a short time. Almost instantly, Rhett had regretted his decision. His ambivalent attitude towards his mother had only taken hours to rise to the surface. It had taken her less than ten minutes to question him on the whereabouts of his wife. The look on her face indicated that she did not believe his story.

Over the years, Rhett had successfully justified to himself the many excuses that kept his life in Atlanta separate from his family in South Carolina. Foremost, Rhett did not want his mother to witness the sham that his marriage had become, and he was likewise embarrassed to allow Scarlett to see the hatred his person still sparked in the Lowcountry.

Though Rhett imagined that Scarlett believed that he revered his mother, like he did Melanie Wilkes, that was simply not the case. Rhett had genuinely worried about his mother and sister during and after the war, but his mother, while a lady, was nothing like Melanie. Melly had stood by Scarlett even when she was in the wrong. His mother had chosen her husband over her son, and it would be a lie to say that Rhett had let that anger go. His present relationship was more financial than anything else.

As far as Rhett was concerned, Eleanor Butler was vain and aloof. Rhett was confident that his mother, once she got to know Scarlett, would probably not like her, despite knowing Scarlett's aunts and being supported by Scarlett after the war. Scarlett's brash personality, coupled with their untraditional lifestyle, Scarlett's carpetbagger friends, and her business ventures, would not sit well with his mother.

The snubbing of his wife by Atlanta's Old Guard, which his mother would have been apprised of over the years, would have been hard to explain. Eleanor would not have approved, and it was only another reason why his wife and his mother had never been formally introduced in their almost five years of marriage.

The fear of his mother discovering that her son was trapped in a marriage with a woman who openly lusted after a married man also prevented the introduction. His mother would have seen through the charade and disliked Scarlett for it.

It was best to keep the two women apart.

Rhett also did not want Scarlett to see that the members of the Butler family were almost strangers. His younger brother was becoming more and more like his father with every year that passed. Robert was mean, obstinate, and spiteful like their father had been.

Rosemary, who had been a mere toddler when Rhett was turned out of his home, was almost an unknown to Rhett. Brief interactions over the years revealed a pleasant and well brought up young woman; in short, she was everything a well-bred southern girl should be. Only Rosemary, of the three Butler siblings, was universally liked, but the war and her eldest brother's reputation had still prevented her from marrying at a desirable age.

Resentment filled his veins when Rhett considered that neither his sister or his brother had traveled to Atlanta when his daughter had died.

It bothered Rhett that despite the emotional distance between the O'Hara sisters, Scarlett was full of heartwarming stories of her childhood and both her parents. Rhett could not say the same for his mother, late father, or two younger siblings. There were moments when he knew that Scarlett wanted to lash out at Suellen, but the O'Hara sisters had been lucky.

It still stung that not one member of his family had been there that fateful day when a duel changed the entire path of his life. His father, thankfully long-dead, had probably hoped that a bullet would fell his deviant son. Robert was too young to attend. If Rhett had died, not one member of his family would have been there. His father, snug in his warm library in front of a blazing fire, had been ignorant of what happened. It was at that moment that Rhett had learned that trust was a dangerous thing. It could disappoint you, hurt you, or break you and, in the case of Bonnie, kill you. Bonnie had trusted him, and it had gotten her killed at the hands of the very person who was supposed to protect her. Just like his father, Rhett had failed in his duty to his child.

Bonnie would not grow up to hate him; she would never grow up.

Everything Rhett had seen and done after he left his father's home to survive had been because of his hatred for his father. He had lived and prospered because of that hate. He still carried that hate, and it had made him into the man he was today.

Although he mostly pushed it aside, Rhett knew he was partially responsible for the disaster that was his marriage. Had he ever revealed his true feelings for fear of being rejected? He had come closest with Melly when Scarlett was fighting to survive following her fall. Had he protected his much younger wife against the mistakes she was bound to make? Rhett had pushed Scarlett to reject the rules of society to bind her to him, and then he had abandoned her. Rhett realized he was no better than his father, who had demeaned and insulted his eldest son to mold him into the Southern gentleman he expected him to become.

Rhett was worried that now when the marriage had unraveled, whether he and Scarlett could keep up the pretense of a happily married couple. As the train pulled into the Charleston station and Scarlett and the children stirred, Rhett began to regret his impulsive decision.

The good people of Charleston would not receive him even though a quarter-century had passed. As Rhett watched her absentmindedly turn the pages of the latest Godey Lady Book on her lap, he doubted Scarlett would fare much better.

This visit, Rhett feared, would only serve to hurt his marriage further, completely unraveling any progress they had made in the last few weeks.

* * *

As the train pulled into Charleston, Scarlett's thoughts turned to her mother. It was a welcome relief from thinking about the man who sat across from her. Ella, for once, had taken a cue from her brother and had been uncharacteristically quiet on this trip. Given that Wade wasn't talking and that both her and Rhett had engaged in minimal discussion, Ella quickly discovered she had no audience. The girl's face was presently stuck to the window, taking in the new scenery. Scarlett remembered her own eager anticipation when her father had taken her to Charleston as a child to visit her aunts and Savannah to visit his O'Hara kin, but Scarlett could not remember the last time her mother had left Tara.

It also struck her, as the train slowed, that it had been nine years since the death of her mother. Had her mother ever come to Charleston to visit her sisters? She must have, Scarlett thought to herself as she watched Wade and Ella peer out the train's windows. Her mother, it saddened her to realize, would probably have had a hard time recognizing not only the war-battered city but the three daughters she had raised to be ladies. Carreen was a nun in a Charleston order, Suellen was married to a Georgia cracker with three daughters, and she was thrice married and on the verge of divorce or reconciliation with her husband. To her credit, Scarlett was an astute businesswoman, but she imagined that would scandalize her mother.

No Ellen O'Hara would not recognize her children.

It saddened Scarlett that her mother had only had an opportunity to meet Wade, but none of her other grandchildren. It also bothered her that she and her sisters would have likely disappointed their mother. Scarlett was also confident that her mother would probably not have liked any of her husbands. Ellen had tried to stop her from marrying Charles Hamilton and would have been horrified at her behavior when she stole Frank Kennedy from under her sister's nose. But Rhett Butler would have been too much for her mother to accept. Scarlett was uncertain of the reaction Will would have garnered.

Scarlett missed her mother intensely, not as she had upon arriving at Tara for protection, but in a more profound manner. It would have been interesting to hear Ellen's reaction to not only Wade and Ella but also her current relationship with Rhett, and about so many other trivial and significant things.

What she wouldn't give for one more day with Ellen and then Scarlett took the thought back. She hoped that Ellen could not see the life she had and the marriage she had ruined with childish dreams. Ellen would instantly see how unhappy she was, how miserable Rhett was, how emotionally neglected her children were. As she looked towards Rhett, who had been quietly watching her for the longest time, Scarlett guessed Rhett's reason for never having introduced her to his family.

Her husband must be ashamed of her. Ellen O' Hara certainly would be.

"Scarlett, judging by the look on your face, I can see you are looking forward to this little family reunion. If I may give you some advice, don't look so excited when you meet my family or your aunts," Rhett teased, helping Ella gather her dolls in preparation for departing the train.

"I hate you, Rhett Butler," she shot back, hoping neither of her children was paying attention. The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.

He smirked. "If only that were the case," he muttered under his breath.

"I don't see why we must stay with your mother, Rhett. We could have stayed at a nice hotel."

"Or with your aunts?" Rhett offered. "Scarlett, you forget yourself. I cannot imagine what my mother would have done had we insulted her in such a manner."

"You exaggerate, Rhett," Scarlett huffed, smoothing down the front of her dress.

"We shall see my pet."

Stepping down off the train, Scarlett scanned the platform, while watching that neither Wade nor Ella wandered too far from her. It would be just her luck to lose one of the children in the flurry of people.

"Rhett!"

Scarlett turned towards a distinctly Charlestonian drawl cutting through the crowds.

"Rhett, it's lovely to see you. Welcome," Eleanor Butler offered her cheek for her son to kiss.

"Thank you, Mother," Rhett said, rather stiffly. "You look well."

"Thank you." Turning to Scarlett, Eleanor extended her hand. "Scarlett, it's lovely to see you again."

"Mrs. Butler." Scarlett felt awkward as she shook her mother-in-law's hand. Having only met her once before, several months back, she had expected more warmth than a simple handshake.

Rhett's mother, even at her age, was tall and beautiful in a classic way. Eleanor rarely smiled, though, and when Scarlett looked into her eyes, she saw a coldness looking back at her. For Rhett, her eyes had glimmered.

"Please call me Eleanor, dear." Turning to Wade and Ella, she continued, "These must be your two children from your previous marriages."

Scarlett wasn't sure she liked the way Rhett's mother said _your_ or _previous_. This woman clearly didn't like her, and she had only met her once before, and Scarlett herself hardly remembered her mother-in-law's presence in the house after Bonnie's death. Rhett's mother was the only Butler who had journeyed to Atlanta for Bonnie's funeral. Neither his brother or sister had bothered to attend. Her sister Suellen, who had been heavily pregnant with her third child when her niece died, had traveled to Atlanta. Scarlett wondered why neither Butler sibling had come to Atlanta in those dark days.

With their belongings collected and the children settled in the carriage beside them, the Butlers made their way from the station to Rhett's mother's house on the Battery, which incidentally, her husband, she knew, had bought and paid for with his ill earned cash.

The ride from the station to the Battery house that Rhett's mother lived in seemed to take forever because Eleanor Butler did not cease talking the entire time. Scarlett could feel the beginnings of a headache as she listened to Ella exclaim loudly at every new sight. Wade sat stoically beside her. Rhett sat with his mother across from her and the children, and she addressed all her comments to her son.

When the carriage stopped in front of the Butler house, Scarlett's heart almost stopped. As she looked up at the home, the faint stirrings of familiarity hit her. This wasn't happening. As Rhett helped her out of the carriage, Scarlett pulled him closer as her mother-in-law swept up the walkway, and whispered, "God's nightgown, Rhett! I've been here before."

"You have?" Rhett asked with curiosity in his eyes. "When?"

"After Wade was born." Scarlett closed her eyes and remembered the rather embarrassing incident during one formal call. "I got so annoyed one day with the stupid drawling voices all around me, Rhett, that one day I may have imitated my father's Irish brogue to the ladies present."

Looking at the panic-stricken woman in front of him, Rhett laughed loudly. "I wish I had been present that day, Scarlett. It would have confirmed my beliefs that you are no -"

"Oh hush, Rhett. I can't stay here. Your mother hates me."

"I think you are mistaken. Mother probably has no recollection of such a spectacle," Rhett drawled thickly.

"Would you care to wager on that?" Scarlett hissed, annoyed with the look of amusement on her husband's face.

"That was a long time ago, Scarlett," Rhett tried to reassure her, but Scarlett was mortified that her future mother-in-law had witnessed her childish gaff. She allowed herself to be escorted in the house by Rhett but could not understand his lack of concern.

"Please join us in the parlor, Rhett. Rosemary and her young man are already here," Eleanor stated, setting her reticule down on the entry table as Scarlett looked around at the interior of the home that seemed so different from her own.

Somehow the Butler home looked understated and elegant despite its lack of furnishings.

"Scarlett, your aunts, have joined us for tea, and your brother," Eleanor addressed her son, "as usual, is late. I've arranged a few things to see us through to our meal."

Scarlett greeted her two aunts with rather perfunctory greetings. They had both changed much since she had last seen them over a decade before. Aunt Pauline's forehead was wrinkled by years of constant scowling, and Aunt Eulalie's frumpy face seemed to tell a tale of regular displeasure. They both seemed annoyed to see her.

The prospect of spending time with her mother's two sisters was bothersome. Scarlett would rather spend the next few months sitting in a room with only India or her sister Suellen for company than have to visit with Aunt Eulalie and Aunt Pauline. Both her aunts had lived in Charleston for years, having moved from Savannah upon their marriage to their husbands. Both were now widows and could find nothing but fault with her.

Of the three Robillard sisters, Pauline was the oldest, and though her two aunts were both ladies, Aunt Pauline had always struck Scarlett as more conservative and confrontational. She had been the one to write Scarlett and chastise her for not accompanying Rhett on his visit to Charleston with Bonnie. Both her aunts were older than her mother, probably closer to Rhett's mother's age, but Scarlett wasn't sure. She did not spend much time considering such trivial matters.

Aunt Pauline's husband Carey, a rather little older man when Scarlett had last visited, had passed away during the war of some heart ailment or other. Scarlett had only skimmed that part of her Aunt's letter. Her aunt's letters were often long and uninteresting, usually complaining about their lack of funds, which Scarlett still sent regularly, and the high cost of food, which Scarlett paid for. They both seemed to be unhappy with her, critical of her being a businesswoman.

Eulalie reminded Scarlett of her Aunt Pitty, a frail, silly, nervous childish, woman whose husband Scarlett had never met. Scarlett had much preferred staying at Aunt Eulalie's house on the Battery as there was more of a social life. Aunt Eulalie was, by far, the easier to the two aunts to talk to. Remembering the isolation and quiet of the plantation out in the middle of nowhere, Scarlett wondered who Aunt Pauline had to talk to besides her husband. Aunt Pauline was simply not that friendly and hard to talk to. They had spent many tedious nights sitting and reading, with Aunt Pauline hinting at how poorly Scarlett had turned out.

Both of her aunts seemed cantankerous, but perhaps, Scarlett considered, they were both only very lonely. Neither had had children, but apparently, the solution of living in the Battery house together after the war made them both content.

Scarlett introduced Wade and Ella to her aunts while Rhett did the same with his sister Rosemary. Her aunts had not seen Wade since his visit as a newborn, and they had never met Ella. Scarlett was silently grateful when Prissy quickly took the children upstairs to the rooms that had been set aside for their visit.

Rhett's sister Rosemary was a strikingly beautiful young woman, tall like her brother but willowy with flowing dark curls. She had the type of face that people remembered. Her features were much like Rhett's but softer and feminine. Scarlett once again felt jealous of the Butler height; she had stopped growing at just over five feet.

Rosemary's fiancee, James Middleton, who was standing off to the side, was a handsome man, in Scarlett assumed, his mid-thirties. His face was sharp and defined but held a stern expression except for when he smiled at Rosemary. Otherwise, his dark eyebrows sloped downwards, giving him a rather severe appearance.

Scarlett had plenty of time to study Rosemary and her husband-to-be, as apparently, afternoon tea was a serious and drawn out matter in Eleanor Butler's home. Aside from a variety of beverages, there was a selection of homemade cakes and other pastries. Delicately arranged sandwiches made of cucumber smoked salmon, chicken, and ham were arranged on elegant platters.

Scarlett, who detested tea, could detect the aroma of the tea, which filled the air with a flowery, almond scent. Later she would ask Rhett where she could get some coffee, but Rhett's words seemed to read her mind.

"Mother, if you have it, I'm certain Scarlett and I would rather have a cup of coffee," Rhett asked, smiling at his wife.

His mother glared at him as if put out, and then looked up at her servant, Manigo, who had been with the family for years. The man nodded and quickly exited the room.

"Tell us more about your trip, Rhett," Eleanor asked, not taking her eyes off her son.

"It was fine, Mother."

"I'm glad. I'm so happy that you were both able to clear your busy schedules to be here with us." Scarlett noticed that Rhett's mother said the word busy as if it was an offensive word, and she knew the slight was directed towards her.

"I'm sorry to hear of your recent loss of your sister-in-law, Scarlett," Rosemary offered, turning her body towards Scarlett, a genuine smile on her lips.

Perhaps one Butler would like her.

"Thank you, Miss Rosemary," Scarlett returned and watched the young woman interact with her husband-to-be. They seemed genuinely happy in a way she and Rhett had never been.

Suddenly Scarlett was exhausted and jealous. Was she okay with remaining in her marriage and a loveless one at that? Would her two children be enough to bring her the happiness that Rhett didn't seem able to offer? What about kindness and respect? She was sure that Rosemary and James had likely never hurled ugly words at each other. Could she live her life without that quiet love she had seen her parents share? Maybe it was too late, perhaps a life apart from Rhett was better for her and Wade and Ella.

A life where she didn't have to pretend. The fact that her husband didn't love her was beginning to bother her.

"I'm also sorry that this is the first time we meet." Rosemary's words startled Scarlett out of her musings. "I do so wish you had visited with us when Rhett brought your darling, little girl here to visit."

Scarlett didn't respond but hoped that the mention of Bonnie would not upset Rhett.

The awkward silence was broken by the announcement of the arrival of Rhett's brother and sister-in-law.

"I'm sorry that we are late, Mother. I had a business meeting that prevented us from arriving sooner."

Rhett's brother, Robert, had many of the same features as his brother; only he was slightly more rounded about the waist. The hard glimmer in his eyes, which seemed to search the room, was also oddly familiar.

"I don't know how you did it, Rhett," Robert stated, kissing his mother and sister in greeting before reaching out to shake his brother's hand. Extending his hand to Scarlett, he continued, "Your aunts tell us that you are an especially busy woman."

Her Aunt Eulalie replied, "We've told Scarlett often that it is not seemly for a woman to work so much, especially when she has a husband that can so generously provide for her and her children, but our Scarlett is stubborn like her -"

"Scarlett thrives because of her store. She is an exceptionally talented and hard-working woman," Rhett retorted, his words quieting Eulalie.

"My husband told me that you have a store of some sort, Miss Scarlett," Robert's wife, Elizabeth, commented as she greeted her. "Mills too?"

"No, Miss Elizabeth, I have a store. I sold the mills some time before. I do own other property left to me by my first husband," Scarlett explained.

"Your first husband owned a store. How interesting," Elizabeth Butler exclaimed.

"Actually, the store belonged to my second husband."

"Three husbands in total," Robert muttered. "It doesn't seem you have had much luck."

"Robert," Rhett warned.

"Your aunts have mentioned in the past that you also own a farm," Elizabeth noted.

"My father's plantation, Tara, is located just outside of Atlanta. I own it along with my sister Suellen." Scarlett smiled, although she could not determine if her sister-in-law's questions were asked in innocence or if she was being interrogated for some purpose.

"You don't live there?"

"No. I haven't lived there since I married my second husband. My sister Suellen lives there with her husband Will, and their daughters. My other sister, Carreen, the baby, is here in Charleston," Scarlett offered. "If it weren't for my brother-in-law and Rhett, we would likely have lost Tara after the war."

"I'm sure my brother has been quite -" Robert did not get the chance to finish his sentence as his wife put her hand gently on his arm. He looked down at his wife's hand for a moment before continuing. "I must say, Rhett, that I was quite shocked when Mother informed us that you and Scarlett were joining us. We haven't seen much of you, Rhett, and this is the first time we are meeting Scarlett. Why are you keeping her in Atlanta all to yourself?"

"My children and businesses in Atlanta keep us busy. Other than Tara, I've only been to Charleston and Savannah only once since the start of the war," Scarlett explained, sensing that Rhett could not be allowed to respond to his brother.

"I don't know if you remember Scarlett, but Rosemary and I met you when you came to visit your aunts." Eleanor Butler had not forgotten the unfortunate incident that took place in the very parlor in which they sat.

"Unfortunately, my visit was cut short. I went to visit my late husband's family in Atlanta not long after I left here," Scarlett explained, hoping she could prevent further discussion of that childish outburst.

"I must not have been present that day, Scarlett," Elizabeth seemed to be searching her memory. "I completely understand your reluctance to travel, though, Scarlett. Robert completely understands why I don't accompany him when he travels for business." Turning to her husband, Elizabeth asked, "Don't you and Father have business interests in Savannah?"

"Yes, speaking of Savannah. My father-in-law, amongst other businesses, operates an import business there. On my last visit, I made the acquaintance of a fascinating couple, and when I mentioned that my sister-in-law was a Savannah Robillard, the man's wife proceeded to tell me a fascinating story." Robert paused long enough to ensure he had everyone's attention. Despite the softness of his voice, Scarlett felt a shiver run through her. "It appears that there was a young woman, years ago, who up and married an Irish farmer after her first husband died. Would that be your mother by any chance? What was her name? Emily? Eva? Ellen?"

"My mother's name was Ellen, but - " Scarlett felt her cheeks flush. She raised her chin before responding, "that couldn't be my mother. She was fifteen when she married Father. She had never been married before."

"So she was not married to a - what was his name? Peter? Pierre? He was killed, wasn't he? Now, where was it? Mobile? New Orleans?" Robert continued, ignoring Rhett, who had risen from his seat.

"That was our sister," Aunt Pauline explained, "but naturally, my father forbade the marriage between the two. Phillipe was our cousin, but he was a bit of a rogue. Not a good sort. My sister insisted on marrying Gerald O'Hara -"

"I met Gerald O'Hara a few times before he passed away, and Scarlett and I married," Rhett said, and Scarlett recognized the seriousness of his tone. "He was a good man."

Scarlett glanced at him with silent thanks as the conversation shifted to other topics. Phillipe? Why was that name so familiar, Scarlett thought to herself? Where had she heard it before? More importantly, how had such a nasty rumor about her mother circulated? She would have to ask her aunts when she got the chance.

* * *

Dinner was an awkward affair. Scarlett was quiet and subdued, but Rhett could sense the underlying anger that emanated from her. The Butler family could be exhausting. His brother was openly hostile to Scarlett, and sister-in-law's questions had aggravated him greatly.

The decision to come to Charleston had been the wrong one.

Looking around the table, Rhett placed his napkin on the table. "If you will excuse Scarlett and I, it has been a rather long day. I'm sure Scarlett would like to check on the children before their bedtime."

Giving their apologies, and sweeping his wife out of the dining room, Rhett led Scarlett up the staircase to the room that Rhett had used during his previous visits. He had scarcely shut the door before Scarlett erupted.

"Your brother is a -"

"I know, Scarlett," Rhett interrupted, dropping into the nearest chair.

"What's with all these questions and this business with this Pierre person?" Scarlett demanded, violently taking the pins out of her hair and slamming them on the vanity Eleanor Butler had brought up to Rhett's room. Not that Scarlett noticed. "It's all lies. My mother was never married -"

"I know, Scarlett," Rhett shrugged, watching her. "I don't know why my brother does half the things he does."

"It seemed that he was enjoying the conversation." She turned abruptly to face him.

Scarlett was not wrong, Rhett thought, as he took in her shaking figure.

"He was."

"What did I ever do to him, Rhett?" she asked.

"Nothing but you are my wife -"

"And the way my aunts described Pa -"

"Scarlett, calm down. You are going to faint," Rhett interjected, as he watched her frantically remove her jewelry and then try to remove her dress.

She hurried across the room and turned her back to him. "Unbutton me then," she ordered.

Rhett hesitated.

"Rhett, I can't do it myself, and I can't breathe in this corset," Scarlett huffed.

"Let me call someone to assist you. Where is Prissy when -"

"God's nightgown! Rhett Butler is having second thoughts about helping a woman out of a dress. What's next?" she blurted out.

Rhett's laughter roared through the rooms as he began the arduous task of unfastening the row of buttons.

"I'm leaving first thing in the morning, Rhett. I won't stay here and be treated this way," Scarlett cried.

"Scarlett, my brother, is an idiot, and that was all directed at me. I didn't realize he was stupid enough to treat you that way," Rhett offered. "I will speak -"

"And your mother hates me," Scarlett complained, having clearly ignored Rhett's statement.

"She doesn't hate you," Rhett reassured her.

"She does, Rhett. She clearly remembers my outburst, and I may have spoken out of line that afternoon."

"I don't believe it!" Rhett teased.

She smiled, "I was so annoyed with the way those women gave themselves airs. Oh, what your Mother must think of me? Why do I even care?"

"Out of curiosity, Scarlett, what happened?" Rhett said, as his hands dropped from her dress. Keeping his wife talking had somewhat distracted him from the task he had been asked to perform.

"I knew they thought little of me. I knew they were questioning how my mother, a Robillard, could end up married to my father. And I couldn't stand the way they spoke. It's a house, Rhett, not hoose," Scarlett mimicked.

"All these years, I've been saying it wrong," Rhett laughed. "That must have been a memorable call. However, have you put up with me all these years?"

"Don't ask me," Scarlett responded as she stepped out of her dress.

He watched her and inhaled deeply.

Scarlett was still the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, Rhett thought to himself. Her magnolia white skin was still luminous and flawless, but her features had softened a little, and the beginning of tiny creases around her eyes was visible. Her small waist had also softened, inevitably after three full-term pregnancies. Rhett was still overcome with longing as he watched her undress. It wasn't the act of lovemaking that he missed most with Scarlett, as that act had never achieved the level of his dreams, but it was the intimacy he missed most. Of sharing a bed with her. Waking up beside her, and he had woken up in many beds, but hers was the only one he honestly wanted to be in. He had squandered his chance in that area with her, but it had been too late to fix it when he had discovered it.

He had blown another chance with Scarlett before they left. At the train station, his words about Ashley had slipped out, his standard control gone. He had been the idiot. He had been lucky enough to marry her, and he had squandered every opportunity to win her love.

Rhett realized that he would have to court his wife if he wanted to gain her love, but fear was still guiding him. Maybe he could do that here in Charleston. Over the last few weeks, he had brought her breakfast, driven her to her store, picked her up, shared meals with her, spent time with her and the children. But when it came to talking with her, he had hesitated. A few weeks were not going to undo years of neglect and lies and cruelty. In Charleston, they did not have the bad memories of their life in Atlanta: Bonnie and Melly's death, Ashley's presence, and even Belle.

"Scarlett, you need to calm down. We've only been here for four hours." He stepped back from her. "And my mother doesn't dislike you. She doesn't know you."

Rhett sat down on the bed and chuckled.

"Oh, why did you bring me here, Rhett?" Scarlett demanded and turning to look at him with her hands on her hips, continued. "And now you're laughing at me."

"I'm not laughing at you, but I just realized something, Scarlett."

"What?" she snapped.

"Look around, Scarlett," Rhett said, with a sweeping motion of his hand.

"At what, Rhett? Can't you be more specific?"

"My pet, have you not noticed that my mother had our things placed in the same room?"

"Oh."

"Yes, oh." Rhett chuckled at the look of disbelief on his wife's face.

"What can we do?" Scarlett asked.

"What do you want to do? I can make up some story as to why you need a separate room," Rhett suggested.

"So your mother can dislike me even more. No, we'll figure something out." Scarlett looked dejected.

"We can tell her you snore so loudly that -"

"And women really find you to be charming?" Scarlett asked, the sarcasm dripping from every word. Despite the scowl on her face and hands on her hips, Rhett was reminded of the young belle he had fallen for so many years before.

"Yes, just not my wife, apparently," Rhett chuckled as he walked towards his trunks.

When he thought about it later that night as he rested his head on the pillow on the floor beside Scarlett's bed, a thin blanket draped over him, Rhett began to imagine just what a visit it must have been for Scarlett all those years ago. He remembered her at that point in her life. The bazaar was only a month or so later when he saw her again after almost a year—the little spitfire. Rhett chuckled in the darkness.

"What are you laughing at?" Scarlett still sounded annoyed.

"What else did you say during that visit?" he asked.

"Rhett!"

"Please, Scarlett."

"Something along the lines of what with all that hullabaloo over Fort Sumter - "

His deep laughter filled the darkened room. "You didn't."

"I did."

"Oh, how I wish I had been there." The woman lying in bed above him could still astound him. Having had the pleasure of seeing her agitated, Rhett sorely regretted missing her little outburst surrounded by Charleston society. "Goodnight, Scarlett."

"Goodnight, Rhett."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Charleston is a lovely city with lovely people who are not snobbish or mean, but poor Scarlett is merely clueless. Alexandra Ripley and I differ in our views of Rhett returning to Charleston. I have a hard time believing that Rhett would be welcomed back if he ever left Scarlett.
> 
> While I love Scarlett, I've always wanted to know more about Rhett; Rhett Butler's People failed to deliver. He is a bit of an enigma. I tried to rename Rhett's mother in this story, but every time I wrote her name, I inadvertently wrote Eleanor and Eleanor she will remain. Because we don't get a lot of insight into her character, I wanted to play around with her motivations a bit. This is one possibility that is different from my first story. MM provides not a lot of information on Rhett's sister, other than her name, so I created a much younger sibling that, due to the war and other circumstances, had never married.
> 
> The exchange between Rhett's brother, sister-in-law, and Scarlett is not what it seems.
> 
> Lastly, I will continue to update this story as writing and reading is a welcome escape from the current situation. More importantly, as we all adjust to our new reality, take this time to make sure that you, your family and friends stay healthy and safe.
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked or left a Kudo for this story.


	8. Happy Birthday, Ella Kennedy!

During the war, the motherhouse of Carreen's order, like many buildings and residences in Charleston, had been destroyed. Compensation from Congress had allowed the order to purchase a building to reestablish an orphanage and school that was in much demand in the still beleaguered city.

Scarlett stood outside the beautiful three-story grey structure, holding onto Ella's hand as the young girl fidgeted beside her. Wade stood off to the side and watched his mother try to wrangle his younger sister. The little girl could not stand still, and Scarlett was about ready to snap at her daughter. It was bad enough that both her aunts had insisted on accompanying her and the children to visit Carreen, or Sister Mary Joseph as she had been named upon her arrival almost seven years before.

Still tired from traveling, and unsure of her decision to remain in Charleston at Rhett's request earlier that morning, Scarlett would have preferred to sleep the day away rather than having to answer the summons from her aunts that arrived bright and early at the Battery house. Aunt Eulalie and Aunt Pauline had sent word that they expected Scarlett to visit Careen with them. While it was really the last thing she wanted to do, Scarlett hoped at least she might find an opportunity to speak with her aunts regarding this Philippe person and her mother. It had taken her some time the night before to fall asleep between thoughts of Rhett, who slept on the floor beside her bed and straining to recall where she had heard Philippe's name before. Scarlett simply could not remember.

Even though Carreen had been in Charleston for many years, Scarlett was surprised to learn from her aunts that her sister was still not a nun. Though she lived with the other sisters of her order and had spent several years studying Church canon, Carreen had only just recently taken her first vows. She did, however, fully participate in the activities of her order, and for Carreen, in particular, that meant working in the school that the sisters had recently reopened.

The house was separated from the street by a functional brick and iron fence. As Scarlett looked around, she could see a garden with what she thought were orange trees. Patterened flowerbeds and ornamental shrubs added to the beauty of the garden. White columns flanked the front door. When the door opened, Scarlett turned her head and barely recognized the young woman who exited the building.

"Scarlett!" Carreen exclaimed, rushing down the path from the entrance to the street.

Opening the gate, Scarlett rushed to her sister. It had been almost seven years since the two women had last laid eyes on each other. Scarlett could still recall the shy and withdrawn eighteen-year-old girl who had never recovered from the loss of her beau. Brent, who had been Scarlett's beau before her wedding to Charles Hamilton, had died at Gettysburg like so many other young men of the county, and Carreen had never recovered from that devastating loss. Scarlett could still remember Will's insistence at Gerald's funeral that Carreen be allowed to go to the convent in Charleston without a fuss from Scarlett. Scarlett had expected Will to ask for Carreen's hand in marriage; instead, Will had married her other sister, Suellen, in order to stay at Tara, which had become his home.

Will had been right: Brent's loss had broken Carreen's heart. The loss of Charles Hamilton had been an inconvenience for Scarlett, but having never loved her first husband, it had not destroyed her. That Will had been so honest with her had not shocked Scarlett. Will, in hindsight, had been one of the only people to never lie to Scarlett. His honesty had always endeared him to Scarlett; that and his devotion to rebuilding Tara, which she shared.

Carreen, out of all the O'Hara girls, had been the most devout. It still bothered Scarlett that Carreen had used her portion of Tara as her dowry to join the convent. There had to be a way to get that back. Scarlett vowed to turn her attention to that at a later date. Maybe Rhett would know what to do.

The young woman whose arms were around her now was not the shy, delicate, or dreamy girl she had been before the war. While Scarlett had been obstinate and spoiled, Carreen had always been good-natured and obedient. Now those qualities seemed more obvious.

Ella, momentarily hid behind her mother's skirts as she was first introduced to her aunt. Scarlett and her sister exchanged worried glances when Carreen tried to engage Wade in conversation. Wade had been three or four the last time he had seen his aunt just after Scarlett married Frank Kennedy and moved to Atlanta. It was a relief to Scarlett that Carreen seemed to understand the problem without any words being traded.

A heartfelt greeting was exchanged between Carreen and her two aunts before she ushered them through the gates and into the garden. Scarlett could count on her baby sister to help her tolerate her aunts.

"Scarlett, I am so glad you have finally come to visit. I have a wonderful surprise for you," Carreen exclaimed, taking Ella's hand in hers and leading the party to a seating area under a rather sizeable fruiting tree. "There's someone you must meet."

Under the tree stood a priest, who looked just like Gerald O'Hara might have looked at a younger age.

"Scarlett, you must meet Father Sean O'Hara," Carreen smiled widely as the priest extended his hand in greeting.

"You must be Katie Scarlett. Sister Mary Joseph has spoken of you so often that I feel that I already know you." Father O'Hara's smile was genuine and broad; his accent was an oddly pleasant blend of Savannah tones and the Irish accent Scarlett had grown up hearing.

"You look just like Pa!" Scarlett exclaimed.

"Father Sean is one of Uncle James' grandson's, Scarlett," Carreen enthusiastically clarified.

"How are the uncles?" Scarlett inquired.

Scarlett remembered visiting with both Uncle James and Uncle Andrew as a child with her father. It was to James and Andrew that her father had escaped as a twenty-one-year-old fleeing Ireland. Both her uncles, Scarlett recalled, were successful merchants back in Savannah. It was the uncles who had helped Gerald with Tara after he had won the property in a card game. As Gerald told the story, a great deal of money belonging to his brother's had been wagered. Luckily for Gerald, he had won the deed to the land that he would eventually call Tara and all the money his brother had entrusted him with. With additional funds from his brothers, he had finally begun the process of building a thriving plantation after years in America.

"Sadly, both our uncles have gone to their final rest, Scarlett." Father Sean studied her curiously. "Uncle Andrew has only been gone a few months."

Scarlett was unsure of how to respond. As she watched her sister and Father Sean talk, Scarlett felt a tinge of regret that she had not visited her uncles and cousins in Savannah after the war ended. Gerald would be horrified that Scarlett had been ignorant of his brothers' deaths. Why had no one contacted her?

Scarlett watched as her cousin and sister talked with little Ella. Wade stood by carefully appraising the situation. When Carreen patted the empty spot on the stone bench beside her, Wade sat beside her, continuing to listen to his sister's conversation. Maybe Carreen could get through to Wade, Scarlett thought to herself. Carreen and Father Sean seemed quite well acquainted, and Scarlett hoped that during this visit, she could reconnect with her sister and get to know this new member of her extended family.

Confident that the children were out of earshot, Scarlett turned to her aunts who were seated for tea.

"Aunt Eulalie, Aunt Pauline, who was this Philippe that Robert spoke about last night," Scarlett asked casually, taking a sip of her tea.

"Poor Eleanor." Aunt Pauline shook her head in disgust. "Her sons have horrid reputations, and then Robert marries that ignorant creature - "

"But why would he spread such lies about Mother unless -"

"Scarlett, we don't wish to speak of this other than to say that Philippe was a scoundrel, and our father would never have let Ellen marry him," Aunt Eulalie declared, putting down her teacup. "He was no one you need to concern yourself with."

"Auntie, I'm asking - "

"No, Scarlett," Aunt Pauline interrupted. "My dear sister is correct. We will have a word with Eleanor about Robert's scandalous behavior, but there is nothing left for us to discuss."

Both her aunts turned to each other to discuss the shortcomings of the tea and cakes before them, and Scarlett knew no further information would be forthcoming. She would have to find out some other way.

While Scarlett surprisingly enjoyed spending time with her sister and her cousin, by the time she returned to the Butler house later that day, she recalled just how much she disliked her aunts and their obstinate ways. They had been critical all afternoon, not only of her but Wade and Ella as well. She could not part from them soon enough, when their visit with Carreen came to an end. Next time, Scarlett would simply return to visit with her children and leave her aunts at home.

Scarlett was also no closer to solving the riddle of Philippe.

* * *

Though she had momentarily considered leaving Charleston after the incident with Rhett's brother and sister-in-law, Scarlett found herself enjoying the time away from Atlanta. Back home, she would have been unable to cross the street without someone mentioning Melanie to her, forcing her to deal with her grief. In Charleston, there were words of condolences before conversations shifted. For that, Scarlett was relieved.

Luckily for Scarlett, she also found one Butler relative who she liked. In the days that followed that disastrous first tea, Rosemary, who was entirely wrapped up in her wedding plans, reached out to her sister-in-law and insisted that Scarlett help her to make some rather important decisions.

Rosemary also asked that Scarlett accompany her on her afternoon visits with her friends and secretly confided in her that she thought that Robert's wife was a boring, gossipy woman who considered herself superior to everyone. Elizabeth came from an established Charleston family and wanted every one of her acquaintances to remember that. Elizabeth didn't seem to understand that she had married into the Butler clan, which also had long and deep ties to the city. Scandalous rumors were floating around about her father's business practices during the war, Rosemary confided in Scarlett one day, but given her oldest brother's issues, who was Rosemary to comment.

Other than a weekly Sunday supper, Robert and his wife did not frequent the house on the Battery, and for that, Scarlett was grateful. She was unsure that she would have been able to sit with Rhett's brother and his wife more frequently.

Rosemary confided, amongst other things, that Robert was still fuming that Rhett had been able to purchase the home for her and Eleanor and that he had been unable to. Robert had married Elizabeth during the war, after a rather lengthy courtship, and while his father-in-law was quite wealthy and had generously provided a stately home for him and his growing family, Robert had not felt comfortable asking for funds to better provide for his mother. Instead, Rhett had been the hero.

Scarlett also learned that her mother-in-law clearly favored Rhett, her oldest son, while her late father-in-law had chosen the younger brother. She took all these details in and stored them in her memory. It was interesting to learn a little about the family dynamics of the Butlers, but it did not wholly interest her.

The arrogance of her brother-in-law was not quickly forgotten, but Scarlett was able to ignore it as her days were filled with venturing early in the morning to the market with either Eleanor or Rosemary, walks along with the Battery, afternoon teas with members of Rosemary's social group and other pleasant diversions.

It was not until Ella's seventh birthday that Scarlett had to spend any substantial time with Robert and his wife. Upon learning that Ella was celebrating a birthday, Rosemary had insisted on inviting Robert's children so that the children could play, while the adults conversed. There would be presents for little Ella, a cake and an exceptional dinner prepared by the Butler cook, who had been with the family for many years.

It was on that same day that Scarlett met one of the most important women in Rhett's life: his mammy.

"Scarlett, my pet, I want you to meet someone," Rhett proclaimed, taking Scarlett by the arm and leading her from the parlor into the hallway, where Robert's young family had assembled on their way to the nursery. "This is Mammy."

"Mammy? You don't mean -"

"Yes, ma'am, I helped raise Mister Rhett. I help out with Mister Robert's children now." Looking inquisitively at Scarlett, she added, "I also took care of your daughter Bonnie when she was here. I'm so sorry about your little girl, Mrs. Rhett."

Rhett had a mammy? For some reason, Scarlett found it almost impossible to picture Rhett as a child and equally impossible to imagine him with a Mammy. What struck Scarlett the most was how, unlike her own mammy, this woman standing before her was. This woman was the exact opposite of what Scarlett had expected. First of all, Mammy wasn't that much older than Rhett, maybe fifteen years or so. The Butler's Mammy must have been quite young when the first Butler child arrived. Scarlett also noticed the way the woman held herself.

"Oh, but you don't look like a Mammy," Scarlett exclaimed, and only when she realized how inappropriate her words came across did she get embarrassed.

Rhett's laugh filled the space. "Don't let her fool you, my pet. Mammy was a tough -"

"Hush up, Mister Rhett. You'll not talk bad 'bout your Mammy. Just because you a grown man with a wife and family - finally - doesn't mean I still can't take a swipe at you." Turning to address Scarlett, Mammy confided. "You'll know all 'bout this boy and trouble. Always getting into trouble."

"Mammy, how could you suggest that -"

Rhett unsuccessfully tried to look offended, but the three women standing around him, knowing him best, also knew the truth: he was enjoying himself and the attention.

"Remember the trouble you got us in with your father when he found out you teach Mammy to read?" Mammy's eyes twinkled at the memory.

"Read?" Scarlett asked, knowing that none of the Tara slaves had ever been taught.

"Of course," Eleanor answered. "My son thought that if he should be forced to learn, his Mammy had to learn as well."

"It was tedious, my pet," Rhett explained, "and I wanted someone else to join me in my misery."

"You were a good teacher, however, Mister Rhett," Mammy confirmed, smiling indulgently at him.

Scarlett watched the teasing between former mammy and child and saw instantly the woman that had raised Rhett. Mammy was sassy and proud but refined in the way she carried herself. Scarlett imagined that just like her own mammy that Rhett's was likely not as obedient or submissive as other people's mammies.

"I hope your children are fine, Mammy" Rhett asked, genuinely interested.

"Yes, sir. Everyone is doing well. I have myself another new grandbaby," Mammy announced proudly.

Children? Grandchildren? Did her own Mammy ever have any children? Had Mammy ever been married? Scarlett had never encountered such a thing.

"I best be getting upstairs to the nursery. I look forward, Mrs. Rhett, to meeting your children," Mammy turned to Rhett. "Mister Rhett, before I go upstairs, I just need to say one thing to you, so you best listen carefully."

"Yes, Mammy."

Scarlett tried not to smile at the serious expression on Rhett's face, masking his infamous smirk.

Mammy turned her head to look at Scarlett, and when she returned her focus to Rhett, her eyes narrowed. "I don't want to hear you call your wife "pet" again. She's your wife, not some dog or horse."

Scarlett saw the shock on Rhett's face as he watched his mammy proceed up the stairs without a backward glance.

Eleanor swept past husband and wife, standing awkwardly in the hallway. "It's about time someone mentioned it, Rhett."

* * *

The woman sat in the parlor, eagerly discussing Rosemary's wedding plans, while Ella and Wade were upstairs in the nursery with Robert's three children. John had just turned ten, little Julia was six, and baby Daniel had just been born a few months before. Although it had not entered Scarlett's mind at the time or upon arriving in Charleston, Elizabeth's confinement had kept her and Robert from traveling to Atlanta when Bonnie had died and Rosemary, never having met Scarlett, remained as well when begged by her sister-in-law.

"Now that you are here in Charleston, Scarlett, you and Rhett must remain until after the St. Cecilia ball," Rosemary announced, looking hopefully over at her eldest brother.

"When is it?" Scarlett asked, vaguely familiar with the event. There had been discussion of it in the parlors of Atlanta, but as her "coming out" had been less formal, Scarlett scarcely paid attention to it.

"In the New Year. Before the war there were three separate balls," Rosemary sighed reminiscing, "now there's only one, but it's still the most wonderful -"

"I believe you mean patriarchal and restrictive event, my dear sister," Rhett drawled as he entered the room, and raised his cigar to his lips.

"Rhett!" Eleanor exclaimed, shaking her head at her oldest son.

"I'm sorry, Mother, but let's not delude ourselves. What else would you call it? If it wasn't for Father, or your father for that matter, neither you or Rosemary would have been eligible to come out."

"Scarlett, you must ignore your husband," Rosemary explained. "My brother is exaggerating."

"I've never embellished the truth in my entire life," Rhett asserted, ignoring Scarlett's incredulous look, as he sat down beside her. "Saint Cecilia is elitist and secretive."

"My brother is partially correct," Rosemary affirmed, shifting her focus from her brother to Scarlett. "It's all entirely private, Scarlett. A small group of debutantes is selected each year, but we don't talk much about what goes on in the Society. The year I came out, there were only about twenty girls or so. Isn't that correct, Mother?"

"Only twenty girls?" Scarlett asked.

"It's a society with a very selective and particular membership -" Rosemary offered.

"And it's easier to openly ignore those less fortunate Charlestonians who are not even considered for membership," Rhett interrupted, seemingly bored with the conversation, but Scarlett knew better. Her husband was enjoying his banter with his sister.

"Oh, Rhett, you are too serious." Rosemary sighed and continued to address Scarlett. "Membership is limited, and it's open to only the finest families in Charleston -"

"As long as one lives in a house on the Battery or even Legare Street, and attends the right church, you are considered for this prestigious little club, Rosemary. You should know better."

"Oh, Rhett!" Rosemary sounded exasperated with her older brother.

"The girls have rich fathers. All this society does is stir up jealousy from those young women whose fathers are not members. If you ask me, Saint Cecilia is nothing more than a society created to allow men to exert control over their daughters, their wives, and society." Rhett chastised his sister.

"And we are not controlled, so hush, please," Eleanor said firmly. "It has to do with good breeding, Rhett, and you know it. If a man is not a gentleman, he will never be a member. I've heard talk that in some cities, you can buy your way in but not in Charleston."

Robert's wife, who had been listening to the conversation quietly, put down her teacup, and addressed Rhett. "It seems to me, Rhett, that you are upset over the fact that you have no daughters that will -"

"Pardon me?" Rhett demanded, and Scarlett's body was instantly alert beside her husband. "When the time comes, if Ella so desires, she will be chosen as a debutante, Elizabeth."

"She's not your real daughter, Rhett, and I hardly doubt Hiberion Hall would open its door to you," Elizabeth smirked defiantly at him, and Scarlett was amazed at Rhett's restraint. If she had not cared about offending her mother-in-law, Scarlett might have jumped up to slap her. She did not notice Rhett's hand that was draped across her lap, preventing her from doing so.

"Ella is my daughter," Rhett asserted, his eyes narrowing at his sister-in-law. "If you will excuse me, I must check on the children."

Scarlett remained rooted to her seat, as Rhett's sister and mother exchanged embarrassed glances, while her husband strolled out of the room.

Rhett excused himself from the parlor and walked past the office where Robert and Rosemary's fiance sat, smoking cigars and discussing politics. The other two men were drinking, but Rhett was still refraining. Bored with the conversation he overheard from the doorway, Rhett went upstairs. Had he remained in the parlor any longer, he was sure that he would have said something offending to his brother's wife. The woman was a bitch.

As Rhett approached the hallway leading to the nursery, he found Ella standing outside the door sobbing uncontrollably. He rushed to the little girl and pulled her into his arms.

Ella wrapped her tiny arms around him and buried her head in his neck. A flood of love washed over him, as the girl clung to him and tightened her grip on him. He tried to push away memories of his Bonnie clasped around him in the midst of one of her infamous tantrums. Ella, sensing that she would not garner the attention her younger sister did, had learned to refrain from any outbursts of emotion. This was unlike Ella.

"What's wrong, Ella? Are you hurt? Did something happen, baby?" Rhett crooned, remembering that this was how he had often spoken to Bonnie.

The girl's sobs prevented her from answering, and had she been trying to say something, Rhett would hardly have understood. He picked up the crying girl and carried her down the hallway to the room he and Scarlett were sharing. Settling the girl on his lap, he talked to her quietly, telling her little stories, which he did not imagine she was listening to until her crying had abated.

Once she had wiped her tears and blown her nose in Rhett's handkerchief, Rhett shifted the little girl so he could see her face. "Now, my beautiful birthday girl, tell me why you are spending your special day in tears? Didn't you like the presents your Mother and I bought for you?"

Earlier in the afternoon, Ella had been beside herself with excitement at the beautiful new doll Rosemary and Eleanor had gifted her, as well as the exquisite dollhouse presented to her by her parents. There had also been books and candies and clothing for her new doll. Ella had struggled to decide which toy to play with, so she had alternated between them all and had appeared quite overwhelmed by it all.

Ella nodded but didn't speak and instead sealed her lips together.

"So, if it's not your present, why are you so unhappy?" Rhett repeated, brushing stray strands of hair off her face.

The little girl moved to put her thumb in her mouth, but Rhett gently stopped her. Ella looked so much like her baby sister at that moment that Rhett felt a tinge of panic.

"John was mean to me," Ella finally admitted, between sobs and gulps of air. Not used to any playmates other than her brother, cousin Beau and until recently, Bonnie, Ella had little experience with other children.

"Was he? Tell me what happened," Rhett said gently, stopping Ella as she tried to place her thumb in her mouth again.

"He told me I couldn't call you daddy," Ella admitted, looking at him with eyes that reminded him of both Scarlett and Bonnie.

Rhett's heart stopped. Ella had always called him Uncle Rhett, just like Wade. Rhett had hated it but had not pressured either child to call him anything else. When Bonnie was born, he had understood just how deeply he would be wounded if his beautiful little girl ever called someone else daddy. When Bonnie had first started talking and calling him daddy, Ella began to slip and mimicked her little sister. Telling no one, Rhett had delighted in Ella's new behavior and hoped Wade would soon follow. No one had stopped Ella, but when it happened, he could see the struggle on the little girl's face. There had been no errors since Bonnie's death.

Hearing a rustle of fabric, Rhett looked up and saw Wade standing at the door listening in on the conversation.

"Ella, my darling, I know I'm not -" Rhett paused. How could he explain this complicated situation to a seven-year-old? He had been the only father in Ella's life. Frank had been killed before Ella's first birthday, and there was no way the little girl could have any memories of the man who had sired her. When Scarlett had been first made aware of Wade, Charlie had probably already passed away. Neither child remembered any man other than Rhett. "Ella, you know what?"

"What?" She hiccuped.

"I would like it very much if you called me Daddy."

Rhett knew that at times it seemed to both Wade and Ella that he loved Bonnie best, but he had loved both Wade and Ella, from the moment he held them, firstly because they were Scarlett's children but soon because they were his. It had been a godsend not to be around when Scarlett had carried Wade. He had barely hung on to his sanity when Scarlett was pregnant with Ella. Riding with her to and from her mills, Rhett had, for the first time, realized just how badly he had blundered. Ella should have been his daughter, and she would have been if he had not turned Scarlett away at the jail. He should have moved mountains to find the tax money for Tara, but instead, he had turned Scarlett away out of anger, and he had regretted it every day since. If he had understood the depth of his feelings, Wade might also have been his son.

Ella buried her head in his chest, and Rhett looked up at Wade. "You too, son. When you're ready, that is."

Rhett looked into Wade's big brown eyes and was reminded of Melly. The boy had been an infant when he had started calling on Scarlett after the bazaar. It struck Rhett, as Wade watched him and Ella, that Scarlett's son, his son, didn't trust him. And if Rhett was honest with himself, he hadn't spent that much time with either child in the immediate aftermath of Bonnie's birth. Rhett wondered if Wade's silence had as much to do with Melly's death, as it did with his own treatment of the boy. Ignoring his stepchildren had been one of his greatest mistakes. His complete lack of concern for them since Bonnie's death embarrassed him. What was worse was that when Bonnie had died, he had not even considered the possibility of staying with Scarlett for the sake of Wade and Ella. Rhett admitted to himself that he would have put up with a loveless marriage only for his own child, but had not made the same consideration for his step-children.

But the truth was that Wade terrified him. Rhett remembered the type of boy he had been and how his father had tried to raise him. Rhett's father had been ill-suited to raise children. He was rigid and unforgiving and had unrealistic expectations of his eldest son. He had expected perfection, and there could be no deviation from that expectation. Rhett had held Wade at arm's length, and while he criticized Scarlett for allowing Melanie to raise her son, Rhett shared some of the blame. Rhett had been so afraid of being like his father, but Wade was nothing like him, but a hands-off approach had eased Rhett's worries. He saw now that the two children standing before him had paid the price for his fears.

Rhett had only briefly considered what his abandonment of Scarlett would do to the children if he left? What would become of Wade and Ella? The little girl might grow up unharmed, but Wade was too old to forget. He could picture the boy growing into a young man obsessed with taking on responsibilities that were not his and trying to protect his mother and sister if he divorced Scarlett. The boy had lost too much in his life. Rhett hoped that one day, Wade would be able to trust him.

Once the children were settled back in the nursery, Rhett went downstairs, hoping that he could maintain his temper, not only at Elizabeth but towards her offspring. His nephew John was young, but in his ten years, he was already becoming more and more like his father. His treatment of Ella had proven it. It wasn't a good thing.

Heading down the stairs, Rhett ran into his sister, who appeared to be waiting for him.

"I haven't had the chance to tell you this, but I like her, Rhett," Rosemary whispered.

"Scarlett?" Rhett asked, already knowing the answer.

"Of course, Scarlett," Rosemary replied, playfully swatting her brother's arm. "She is something else. She reminds me so much of you in some ways."

"Just don't like her more than you love me, my darling sister," Rhett feigned injury.

"Too late," Rosemary teased, "She's vivacious and bold and fearless, Rhett."

"You wound me, Rosemary."

"You'll get over it." Rosemary smiled. "And her children are precious, especially her - your - little girl."

"Yes, well, I need to thank you for spoiling her the entire time we've been here and don't think I didn't notice," Rhett added, smiling.

"What I don't understand, Rhett, is why you've been hiding Scarlett from us this entire time? You've been married for how long?"

"It's a long story, Rosemary," Rhett admitted.

"I'm sure it is. I'm glad you're here and that you brought her and the children this time. I never understood why -" Rosemary caught herself before she continued as his eyes darkened in anticipation of her next words. "Do you miss her, Rhett?"

"Don't Rosemary," Rhett warned.

"Do you?" his sister insisted.

Rhett sighed deeply. "Everyday."

"Does it still hurt as much as it did?"

"Some days more, but today," and he thought about holding Ella in his arms just minutes before, "not as much."

* * *

Scarlett's disgust over Elizabeth's spiteful words was somewhat lessened by the length Rosemary had gone to ensure that Ella's birthday was special. Somehow, all of Ella's favorite foods were on the table: pan-fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and cornbread. Only the peas seemed to offend her daughter.

Scarlett appreciated Rosemary's insistence that Ella and Wade eat at the table with the adults, given the special event while Robert's children ate in the nursery. Eleanor appeared disgruntled. Looking around the table, Scarlett couldn't remember the last time she had been present during a meal where there had been this much tension, although Rosemary was doing her best to defuse the friction caused by Elizabeth. Rhett seemed to be deep in thought about something and seemed ready to pounce whenever his brother or sister-in-law spoke. Scarlett could not wait for the day to be over and was thinking of all the ways she could avoid Robert and Elizabeth during the remainder of her visit.

"Ella, darling, finish those vegetables on your plate, or there won't be any birthday cake," Scarlett reminded the little girl, who had begun moving the offending food around her plate.

"Momma, I don't like peas," Ella whined.

"Ella, darling, I remember that Rhett didn't like vegetables when he was a small boy. It was a fight every time they were served," Eleanor offered and leaned towards the girl in a conspiratorial manner. Her voice softened, "Rhett, would try to wrap them up in a napkin. He even tried to stick them in his pockets and under the table just to avoid eating them."

"I did no such thing," Rhett proclaimed, pretending to take offense.

"Be quiet, Rhett," his mother warned.

"Do you like them now, Daddy?" Ella asked, trying out the word, but not noticing her mother's reaction or that Rhett's hand gently closed over his wife's.

Sensing the correct answer, Rhett responded, "I do, Ella, very much. I think part of my new found love for peas is that I missed them during the war."

"Why didn't you eat them during the war?" Ella questioned, eying the peas suspiciously.

"Well, Ella, sometimes it was hard to get fresh vegetables on a ship," Rhett explained, smiling at his stepdaughter.

Ella lifted the fork to her nose and smelled the offensive item.

Looking across the table at her mother, Ella asked, "Momma, can I sail a ship like Daddy when I grow up?

"Ella, ladies, don't sail ships," Scarlett told her daughter.

"But Momma, I want to sail a boat like Daddy, so I don't need to eat my vegetables," Ella proclaimed and smiled when the adults around her erupted in uneasy laughter.

"Ella, darling, because it's your birthday, I think if you have two more bites, your mother will let you have some cake," Rosemary said, watching the child take two more reluctant bites.

When all the dishes had been cleared away, Scarlett watched as a beautiful cake was carried in on one of Eleanor's cake stands. And then a second one was brought in. Both cakes were put in front of Ella on the table.

"Two cakes? Mother, isn't that a bit much?" Rhett asked.

"I didn't ask for two cakes, Rhett," Eleanor answered, confused at the appearance of the other desert.

"I did," Elizabeth announced. "I thought we could have one cake for Ella, and the other one for Bonnie. Friends of my parents have a -"

But the rest of the words did not leave her mouth. The sound of a chair scraping against the floor caused all heads to turn towards Rhett, who was standing up. Scarlett recognized the murderous look on Rhett's face.

"You stupid woman. What is wrong with you?" Rhett spat.

"Rhett!" Eleanor whispered, shocked at his outburst.

"Rhett," his brother warned, "that's my wife, you've just offended."

Without another glance, Rhett walked out of the room, and moments later, Scarlett heard the front door slam and felt the vibrations long after he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nope, this is not a "Scarlett" sequel, which I have only read once. I borrowed a few "characters" from AR, but it felt weird using the name Father Colum. I'm also not sure if the uncles would still be alive at this point, given that they were probably older than Gerald, who, if still alive, would be in his seventies. There is a point to the opening scene with Carreen and Father Sean; all will be revealed eventually. I did get a few stares from my family as I researched convents.
> 
> I have friends who lost a child almost fifteen years ago, who still bakes a cake in celebration of their child's life. My friends say it helps, but I'm not certain Rhett would feel the same at this point, given his sister-in-law's role. I had no clue the first time I read GWtW. I didn't realize until I was in my late twenties just how unlikely it was for Scarlett and Rhett's marriage to survive Bonnie's death. Everything you're not supposed to do in marriage after such a loss, these two did, and they had a horrible foundation to start with. I'm hoping to rebuild that foundation.
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked or left a Kudo for this story.


	9. Shades of Blue

Eleanor Butler was one of the lucky ones; she was sixty-two years old, and she had never buried a child. She couldn't even begin to imagine the pain one would feel after such an unnatural event. How could any person survive the grief of laying one’s flesh and blood into the cold ground? Many of her friends had buried stillborn or sickly children. Too many women of her acquaintance had buried sons who had died fighting for the glorious cause. On the outside, they appeared fine, but Eleanor knew that many would never recover from their loss.

For a time, her own son had been lost to her when her husband had vanquished Rhett from their Charleston home, even going so far as to remove his son’s name from the family bible. Even after many years had passed, and she was still forbidden from seeing her eldest son, Eleanor knew that her son was alive, and there would always be the possibility that one day she would be able to hold him and spend time with him. Had he died, Eleanor knew that her body or mind would have told her.

Mothers always knew.

No, she had never lost a child, so Eleanor did not quite know how to deal with the situation when she had been in Atlanta months before. The event that had just transpired in her dining room confirmed to her that things still weren’t right between her son and daughter-in-law.

Four months earlier, when she had entered her son’s Atlanta home after receiving the devastating telegram from Mrs. Melanie Wilkes, Eleanor had no idea what to expect. She had only met Scarlett briefly when the seventeen-year-old had visited her aunts at the beginning of the war. Over a decade would pass until their next encounter. What she had learned about the girl in the intervening years did nothing to endear Scarlett to her.

What Eleanor had encountered had both saddened and shocked her. Rhett was inconsolable and had refused to see her. Scarlett had locked herself in her room after the tragic accident. Following Rhett’s refusal to bury his only child, and at the height of her grief, Scarlett had lashed out at her son and called him a murderer. Eleanor suspected that her daughter-in-law did not actually believe that Rhett was a murderer. She didn't know Scarlett well but imagined that it was the grief talking. There could be no other explanation.

It was evident that no one in the Peachtree Street house knew how to breach the divide between Rhett and Scarlett. Scarlett’s Mammy, who had known and loved Eleanor's daughter-in-law since birth, was beside herself with worry. Eleanor fretted that her son and his wife would kill each other in their grief. Mrs. Wilkes, Scarlett's closest friend, by the looks of it, had not known how to help and had only mentioned that things had been quite strained since Scarlett’s illness two years before. What that illness was, Eleanor could only guess, but rumors of that episode had also reached her.

Eleanor remembered sitting helplessly in the library with Scarlett's sister Suellen and Aunt Pittypat until finally, Mrs. Wilkes announced that Rhett would allow Bonnie to be buried. She had wanted to reach out to both Scarlett and Rhett after the service, but not knowing what she could do, Eleanor watched the grieving parents disappear to their respective rooms. The house had been heavy with sorrow. Eleanor Butler was ashamed to admit it even to herself, but she had never been happier when she had finally left that house following her granddaughter's funeral.

There was also a very good, but probable chance that Rhett would refuse her help. While Rhett might deny it, Eleanor knew that he was still angry and resentful towards her for her lack of action all those years ago.

The last time Eleanor had looked into Rhett's eyes, she’d seen a young man on the verge of adulthood looking back at her. There was still an innocence about him despite everything he had witnessed or done before being banished by his father. There had been hope and certainty and trust in his eyes. In her mind, Rhett was still the same little boy that she had held in her arms, reading him stories before he fell asleep or reminding him to mind himself with his father.

When next she met her son many years later, that innocence was replaced with a hardness, cunning stare that was a byproduct of how difficult his life must have been. Eleanor knew little of what he had experienced in the years after his departure, but with one look, she knew he had known trouble. The impressionable but irascible young boy had grown into a man who trusted few people, had experienced cruelty and deceit. There must have been great danger at every turn, and yet, he had survived whatever life had thrown at him. Hidden behind their depth was a twinkle that she had not understood. Her little boy was gone, but a devilishly handsome, if somewhat arrogant man stood before her. Rhett was still recognizable, but just, exuding an air of danger.

Now, his eyes were lifeless and empty. Bonnie's death accounted for some of the pain he carried, but his were the eyes of a man who seemed to hold little hope for the future. Eleanor had tried to hide her shock at the deterioration of the man in front of her since Rhett's arrival in Charleston with his family. There was no trace of the little boy she had spoiled and protected and loved.

Rhett had flitted in and out of her life throughout the war, and after his marriage to Scarlett, he had only visited the one time with Bonnie. She had felt helpless to help them in Atlanta, but Eleanor could not make the same mistake again. If she was going to help her son and his wife, Eleanor knew that she would need to get to the truth. These two were quickly spiraling out of control. Rhett would refuse to speak to her, but she hoped that she might get Scarlett to open up to her.

Eleanor Butler would have to set aside her pride and teach both her son and Scarlett to do the same.

Robert, Elizabeth, and their children had long departed for home. Eleanor could not fathom the behavior of her younger son and his wife. Their animosity towards Rhett was mystifying. Rosemary’s fiance James had been the first to leave, and Rosemary had retreated upstairs, insisting she had wedding plans to take care of. Rhett’s rage had been murderous, and Eleanor could not recall ever having witnessed such an occurrence. The house had quickly cleared; no one wanted to experience Rhett's wrath.

“Wade and Ella are both asleep, Scarlett,” Eleanor said, sweeping into the parlor where Scarlett sat by herself.

Eleanor scanned the woman’s face for a trace of emotion. Her son’s vile words that his wife was a horrible mother had also reached Eleanor's ears. Throughout the years, many rumors, some too fanciful to believe, had been laid out before her by the well-meaning ladies of Charleston or Scarlett’s aunts. While Eulalie and Pauline were two of her closest friends, they could not be trusted to be impartial when the subject of their niece came up.

Scarlett, who sat in a chair staring out the window, turned her head at the sound of the voice.

“Thank you, Miss Eleanor,” Scarlett said absentmindedly but smiled faintly.

“Scarlett, please call me, Mother.” Eleanor sat down beside her daughter-in-law and exhaled deeply before she spoke again. “Rhett was always challenging to talk to when he was growing up.”

Scarlett stared at her. “Then he hasn’t changed much.” Scarlett’s words lacked emotion.

“Things have not gotten better since Bonnie?” Eleanor asked, though she already knew the answer. It was not really a question.

“No.”

“In a way, this is my fault, Scarlett, and I must apologize to you. Rhett has never been very good at sharing what he’s feeling with anyone else. I’ve been watching him since you arrived, and I can tell that something is wrong between the two of you.”

Scarlett looked at the woman who sat beside her and suddenly longed for her own mother. Ellen, Scarlett was confident, would have helped to ease some of her fears or been able to advise Scarlett with what she must do to make things right. Could she trust Eleanor to do the same? Rhett was, after all, her son.

How she longed to tell someone all her troubles? The need to unburden herself was overwhelming.

“I’m afraid that Rhett won’t walk back through that door,” Scarlett admitted, searching her mother-in-law's eyes for a clue to understanding Rhett.

“He will be back -”

“I’m not so sure, Mother. Since I’ve known your son, he has a habit of leaving. He would disappear for months during the war, usually after a disagreement or misunderstanding, and I would never know if or when he planned on returning.” Scarlett wondered how much she could safely disclose. The genuine concern she saw broke Scarlett's resolve, and she decided that the burden was too much for her to shoulder by herself. “The night that my sister-in-law died, Rhett told me that our marriage was over and that he was leaving me.”

“But, he didn’t.”

“And I still have no idea why he came back.”

“I suspect it is because he loves you, Scarlett,” Eleanor offered.

“Does he?”

“Of course. Why else would he marry you?” Eleanor asked.

“Because he couldn’t have me otherwise,” Scarlett whispered. “Or at least, that’s what he told me. I didn’t know he loved me until recently.”

Eleanor looked at Scarlett, unable to hide her shock. “I don’t believe that for one moment.”

Scarlett sighed. “Rhett has never actually told me he loved me without an insult being close behind.”

Eleanor scanned her daughter-in-law’s face. “Do you love him?”

“Yes, I do now, but for the longest time, I didn’t know how I felt about him. I thought I was -”

“In love with someone else.” Eleanor finished her sentence.

“How did you know? Did Rhett tell you?”

Now it was Eleanor’s turn to sigh. “No, Scarlett. When it comes to my son, people seem anxious to give me information. I was told that you were having an affair with your business partner. A Mr. Wilkes?”

“There was never a -” Scarlett hesitated. “I thought I was in love with Ashley Wilkes, but I know now that I didn’t. He was a childhood friend, and it took me until recently to realize that I feel nothing but fondness. You have to believe that I don’t love him.”

“I believe you, Scarlett, but I’m assuming my son didn’t know.”

“Rhett knew. He knew from the very first day I met him,” Scarlett confessed. “I simply assumed it didn’t matter to him, especially if he didn’t love me. I never once imagined that Rhett was in love with me.”

So her son believed that his wife was in love with another man, and therefore, the other more outrageous rumors about Rhett must be true.

“And he punished you for not loving him even though he was not honest with his feelings,” Eleanor paused and admitted, “That sounds like my son. And because you were in love with someone else, he convinced himself that it was perfectly fine for him to seek companionship outside of the marriage.”

Scarlett hesitantly nodded.

Following little Bonnie's death, when Eleanor had first arrived in Atlanta, no one had been able to tell her the exact whereabouts of her son. It had been an understatement to say that she had been shocked to learn that her son had spent the last few days following the death of his little girl with the town’s madam, but now nothing surprised her.

“You have to believe that I never had an affair with Ashley, " Scarlett pleaded, reaching out to grasp Eleanor's hand tightly in her own, "but I still hurt Rhett.”

“Let’s settle on the fact that you both hurt each other. It also does not excuse the fact that you were both unfaithful. Emotional infidelity, Scarlett, is just as bad as physical infidelity.”

Scarlett looked away from Eleanor, ashamed of her actions. “I know that now.”

“However, I am guessing that had my son been more honest, things might have been different.”

“Perhaps Rhett expected me to know. He told me he had done everything to show me how he felt.”

“Yes, everything but tell you exactly how he felt.” Eleanor could not believe how convoluted the whole situation was. “If I know my son, I am not wrong in saying that he grew to hate this Ashley person and took that anger out on you instead.”

Scarlett remained silent.

“Which is very similar to how he blamed that poor girl when his father was the one who disowned him,” Eleanor added, suddenly understanding her son in ways she had failed to before. And how he continues to punish me for his father’s decisions. Fatigued of mind and soul, Eleanor quietly admitted to herself, that she too had failed her son. Her blame was justified. She had not lifted a finger or said a word to change her late husband’s mind. Scarlett had admitted to loving Rhett, but was there still a chance to fix things? “I was so happy when Rhett brought your little girl here.”

“He took her away from me.” Scarlett heard herself say.

“Rhett?”

“There was an innocent incident involving Ashley. Rhett reacted badly. He took Bonnie and left town. I had no idea where he’d gone,” Scarlett admitted.

There was only one way to remedy this situation and save the marriage, but it might be too late.

“Scarlett, I should have said this to you back in Atlanta, but I didn’t think it was any of my business. But you need to make Rhett talk to you.”

“He won’t.” The next words out of Scarlett’s mouth were the hardest things she had ever admitted to anyone else. “He told me he doesn’t love me. He said his love for me had worn out.”

“Scarlett, don’t be ridiculous,” Eleanor chastized, “and don’t make the same mistake twice.”

“Excuse me?”

“My son loves you.”

“But he told me -”

“My son is a good liar, Scarlett.”

“I said too many hurtful things to him after Bonnie died. Maybe it's just better that I go back to Atlanta,” Scarlett sputtered.

“My dear, I understand that you are grieving and that you've just buried your darling girl, but someone needs to make the first move. My son loves you, but he doesn't know how to deal with his grief, and there is a stubborn streak in him that prevents him from admitting he was wrong. Don’t be stubborn like Rhett,” Eleanor pleaded. “You’ll regret it later.”

“I called him a murderer -”

“I know you didn’t mean it, Scarlett. You were hurting, and that was your hurt talking. You can't take those words back, but you can replace those words with actions.” Eleanor reached out to take hold of Scarlett’s hand, an action utterly foreign to her and squeezed it gently. “Scarlett, I can only imagine how lonely and afraid and angry you must be. I can't give you the words to take your pain away, and my son will push you away if you let him. But I suspect that only Rhett can understand some of what you're going through. Reach out to him before it’s too late.”

“Rhett doesn't love me,” Scarlett repeated. “He loved Bonnie -”

“Make things right, Scarlett, before it's too late, and too much time has passed. It's going to be that much harder tomorrow to apologize and harder the next day.” Eleanor moved closer to her daughter-in-law. “Bonnie wouldn't want this.”

Scarlett thought of the beautiful little girl with her charm and boisterous personality. Bonnie had loved both her parents and even when Rhett had taken Bonnie away, the darling child had missed her mother. Scarlett hoped to do right by the child that she had grown to love above all her children.

“Rhett may hold you at arm's length at first, but you need each other, not me or anyone else, to see you through this,” Eleanor continued.

Especially not me, Eleanor thought to herself. Eleanor knew that Rhett cared for her in his own way, but nothing would ever repair the damage that had been caused when Eleanor had chosen her husband over her son. In standing by her husband, when he had demanded that Rhett marry that silly girl, she had irreparably damaged the relationship with her son.

"Scarlett, tell me everything," Eleanor pleaded. She hadn’t stood up for her son then, and even now, all these years later, she was paying for her sins. This would be her penance for sacrificing her son in order to maintain the peace of her marital home.

As Scarlett poured out her story, desperate to share details that had probably kept the naive girl up at night, Eleanor could not equate the cruel, vindictive man of the story with her firstborn son. That Rhett could treat any woman, let alone his wife, Bonnie's mother, in such a fashion, shocked her to her core. Rhett was his father's son, but even her late husband had not been as cruel as her son had become. Eleanor held little hope that her son and his wife could move past this, and she wasn't sure if she wanted them to. She recognized Rhett's feelings for Scarlett for what they were: a profoundly, earth-shattering love of a man who had no idea how to show it. That her son had never told his wife, despite twelve years of courtship and marriage, that he loved her, was unfathomable. He had hidden his true feelings, and in the end, Eleanor was sure that it would cost him the only woman he would ever love. Rhett had closed his heart at the very moment that his wife was willing and able to admit her own love for him. Neither her son or Scarlett was innocent, but Eleanor knew it would be difficult, if not impossible, for either to trust the other entirely.

There had been rumors throughout the war of his heroics. There were some in her social circle that she knew would never let his misdeeds go. These were the same professed Christian women who shot veiled barbs at her. The story of her son spending most nights in the bedroom of the town's most notorious madam, while her daughter-in-law chased her married business partner while Atlanta society watched, had shocked her when she thought about them in private. The rumors had not been told to her directly, but snatches of conversation meant for her to overhear had reached her. Eleanor would never give them the satisfaction of her reaction. Privately, she mourned.

There had been moments of anger when Eleanor wanted to lash out at her son, wherever he had disappeared to, and his wife, yelling at them for their stupidity. She remembered during the war when her son had appeared genuinely happy, and it was only later that she surmised that it had to do with the young woman sitting beside her. Her son and Scarlett were so similar, and Eleanor could not believe the hurt they had caused each other. Scarlett had been blind to her Rhett's love, but Rhett had failed, too scared to let his guard down. They were both such fools, but expressing this sentiment would help neither of them now. And yet, she hoped that she was wrong and that they would somehow find a way to be together.

* * *

The night was pitch black by the time Rhett returned to the quiet house on the Battery. The only sound he could hear was the gentle lapping of the waves on the wall in front of the home. For hours he had wandered up one street and down another, neither stopping or slowing his pace. If he kept walking, it might prevent him from doing something stupid. He had purposely stayed away from Charleston's red-light district, knowing that a bottle or two of whisky and a couple of whores would only take the sting away for a few hours.

To have Bonnie’s recent death, thrown in his face, was a slap in the face. While he could not be sure what the motivation was behind his sister-in-law's malicious actions, Rhett couldn’t help but wonder if she had been prodded into acting by her husband. The Butler men hated each other and had since Rhett’s reappearance in Eleanor Butler’s life. Upon further introspection, Rhett had no doubts that Robert was behind all the chaos. Elizabeth Butler's open hatred of Scarlett, however, was baffling.

Only when the blackness of his anger and despair had weakened, and he knew everyone was bound to be asleep, including his wife, did he make his way back to his mother’s house. Rhett had nowhere else to go. What he didn’t expect, when he reached the door to the room that he shared with Scarlett, was that the door was opened a crack, and he could see Scarlett sitting on a chair. When the door creaked open, she got up and walked towards him.

Rhett raised his hand to warn Scarlett off, and though she hesitated for a moment, she continued towards him.

“I was worried, Rhett. Where were you?”

“I was out walking.”

Scarlett narrowed her eyes at him. “For six hours?”

Rhett shrugged his shoulders while fighting the urge to flee the room and his wife’s questions. On the night of Melanie’s death, he should never have listened to Henry Hamilton; he should have left Atlanta and his miserable life behind.

“Rhett, we need to -”

“Scarlett, I don't want to talk about it right now.” He turned his back on her to stand in front of the open window.

Scarlett exhaled deeply as she stared at his broad back. Momentarily paralyzed with indecision, she forced herself to walk slowly towards him. Rhett stood, like a statue, with his back to her. His body was rigid, with either pain or indifference. Scarlett didn't know which was worse. All she knew for sure was that she had to do something, something utterly unexpected, or she would regret it her entire life.

Walking towards him, she stopped directly behind him. Rhett was taller than her; her head just reached his shoulders. Standing as close to him as possible, Scarlett reached her arms slowly around his much larger frame. When her arms lightly brushed his hips and wrapped around his waist, Scarlett felt him twitch slightly, but she wouldn't be deterred from her purpose. Resting the inside of her arms against Rhett’s solid stomach, she laced her fingers and used the leverage of his body to pull herself firmly against him until there was no space between them. Feeling her breasts press into him, Scarlett turned her head to the side and let her face make contact with his back. She inhaled deeply, taking in his familiar scent; there was no hint of another woman's scent on him, and for that, Scarlett was grateful because it had been her greatest fear after he'd stormed out. That or Rhett not returning.

Scarlett squeezed him tightly, wanting to provide him comfort but also needing to connect with him physically. Tonight, of all nights, she needed to feel Rhett's strength and solidness. She could hear the rhythmic beating of Rhett's heart in her ear, so she closed her eyes and tried to focus all of her attention on his breathing. Scarlett wanted to slow her own heart, which was beating erratically, wishing to be entirely in tune with his body. As she focused on her breath, and as hers slowly began to match his, Scarlett felt the muscles in his back slowly relax. Rhett’s hands were no longer clenched at his side. To her surprise, he lifted his hands and brought them to rest on her own. She felt him pry her fingers apart, and instead of pushing her hands away, he intertwined his fingers with hers. All Scarlett could think of was how perfectly in tune their bodies seemed and how comforting it was to feel his response.

Through the thick material of his shirt, Scarlett could feel the heat of his body, as well as the ripple of his muscles as he surely fought to calm his body. Focusing on the feel of his fingers resting next to hers, she noted her smooth skin against his pleasantly rougher fingers. It reminded her of the first time he had held her hand, as well as that night when his fingers had intertwined with hers as he made love to her.

Tonight, if it was possible, Scarlett wanted her touch to speak the words that she had been unable to say thus far in their marriage. Lifting her head, she rested her forehead on his back. Kissing him through the thin material of his shirt, she wanted to stay like this forever. She owed him that. After all her neglectful and hurtful actions, her body was the only thing left that she could use to convince him that she cared for him. That she needed him. That she didn't blame him. That she loved him. Their intimacy was more profound as they stood in the center of his room than it had been in a long time. Scarlett remembered the last time she had lain naked with him, her smooth legs intertwined with his hairier ones. She remembered the feel of his naked body under her fingertips. This was different. In their bed, Rhett was in complete control and led events to their conclusion. At this moment, they were both vulnerable and on the precipitate of change.

“Rhett, I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to say any of it. When Bonnie died.” Her voice was a whisper. “I don't blame you for anything.”

“I killed her,” Rhett croaked, and she felt him shudder in her arms.

“No, you didn't.” Scarlett fought to control her tone. “You loved her.”

“Oh God, Scarlett, I killed my baby.” Sobs racked Rhett's body, and Scarlett tightened her grip on him.

“Our baby. And you didn't. She was so headstrong and determined -”

“How can you even stand to be in the same room as me? I can't stand myself most of the time."

“I can't imagine being anywhere else, Rhett. I need to hold you, and I need you to hold me. I'm tired of fighting.” Scarlett did not care if Rhett could hear the panic in her voice.

“Why?”

“Because she was ours. We made her together. And even if you don't believe me, we loved her together.”

“I can't breathe, Scarlett. I want to die; it hurts so much. It feels like someone is squeezing my heart and won't let it go. I wish everything would stop," Rhett sobbed. "We put our baby into the cold, dark ground, and then we left her there. You know she doesn't like the dark. I wish I were with her. God, I loved her so much.”

“Breath for me, Rhett. Let me love you. Love me -”

“I don't know if I can. Don't let me go, Scarlett,” Rhett pleaded, sounding more like a lost little boy than the powerful man that she thought he was.

I'll never let you go, Rhett, Scarlett thought to herself but couldn't say it. She felt him squeeze her hands and then bring them up to his lips to kiss her palms.

“Let me help you to bed,” Scarlett offered.

“I don't want to let go,” Rhett said, tightening his grip.

“It’s just for a few minutes.”

Reluctantly, Scarlett felt Rhett soften his grip on her. As her hands were released, she gently laid them on his hips, not sure if it was to steady her or reassure him.

Scarlett walked softly to the door of the room to close it. She heard the shuffle of his shoes on the hardwood floor as Rhett turned towards her. She could feel his eyes on her. Reaching for the doorknob, Scarlett used her other hand to help her close the heavy door. With a soft click, the door closed, and she turned the key to ensure the door was locked. Turning slowly back to face him, Scarlett leaned her upper body against the door and lifted her eyes to Rhett's. For a moment, she couldn't move. The look in his eyes scared her. They were black and empty, devoid of any emotion. His eyes were dead, but they might someday awaken. Is that what he saw when he looked in her eyes? Rhett looked scared and uncertain.

Scarlett moved towards him, never letting her eyes move away from his. She wanted to be held by him, to feel his skin on hers. The pressure of his hand on her hip. The scent of his body. If there was to be any chance for them, she would have to make the first move.

“Don't destroy me, Scarlett,” Rhett begged quietly, and for a moment, Scarlett hesitated.

Saying nothing, Scarlett tentatively reached up to loosen the cravat around his neck. She felt nervous; she had never undressed Rhett. Once undone, the cravat was pulled free with one hand, and she let it slide down. Rhett took it from her, and she resumed her duty. Her hands were shaking as she slowly began to unfasten each button of his shirt, taking her longer than it would have taken him. Scarlett felt no need to rush, needing to be close to him. When the last button was undone, she tugged the tails of his shirt from his pants. Reaching towards his shoulders, Scarlett moved the fabric down Rhett's bare arms. His stomach was smooth, and dark hair curled on his stomach. Scarlett fought an odd impulse to press her lips against him. When Rhett was free of his shirt, she placed both his cravat and shirt on a nearby chair.

“Sit,” Scarlett ordered.

After Rhett had been directed to sit on the bed, Scarlett helped him out of his shoes and socks and then used his muscular thighs to help her stand, leaving his socks lying next to his boots.

“Up.”

Rhett stood without saying a word, but Scarlett noticed that he hadn't taken his eyes off her. Reaching for the buttons on his trousers, she rested her hands on the band of his pants. She realized that he trusted her. But more than that, he was finally letting her take care of him. Scarlett unbuttoned the two buttons and pushed the trousers down his hips and past his thighs until he was free of them, making sure to keep some contact with his body the entire time. Rhett lifted his feet out of each leg and let his pants pool on the floor between them.

Scarlett reached for his hand and led him to the bed. Rhett helped her pull back the covers, and she slipped in between the fresh sheets. Rhett blew out the candles in the room and gently eased himself onto the bed beside her. It had been so long since they had shared a bed. Scarlett moved to the center of the bed. On her side, she rested her head on one of the pillows and watched him. Facing her, on his side, Scarlett could sense him watching her in the darkness.

“Hold me, Rhett.”

“I don't know what you want.” He sounded lost and afraid.

“I want nothing but for you to hold me tonight.”

When Rhett did not move any closer, Scarlett inched her way closer towards him until she lay in his arms. He shifted to his back, and she snuggled closer against his body, instinctively wrapping her leg around his. When her arms wrapped securely around his waist, Scarlett lay her head on his chest.

“I need you to know that I did not mean what I said that night,” Scarlett whispered in the darkness.

When he did not respond, she tightened her grip on his waist.

“I need you to talk to me about her, Scarlett. I don't want to forget her.”

“I don’t want to talk to anyone about her, but you,” Scarlett admitted. “No one - not Melly or Mammy or your sister - has any idea what it's like to watch your baby die in front of your eyes. I’m tired of everyone offering their condolences and asking if I need anything. I can’t stand being watched with concern and pity. They can’t give me what I need,” she confided. “Only you can.”

Having lost both of her parents within a few years of each other, her mother through illness and her father in that terrible accident that reminded her of Bonnie, Scarlett had thought that there would be no pain greater than losing her parents. Ellen’s death had been especially painful; there was so much that Scarlett had wanted to say to her. She hadn’t been there when her father died, but even on a good day, Scarlett wondered if her father knew who she was towards the end.

But Bonnie's death was so much worse. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. All of her hopes and dreams for Bonnie had died in an instant. Bonnie would never grow up to be the belle of the ball or fall in love with a handsome young man, and there would be no grand wedding or pretty babies.

Gerald O’Hara, one of the strongest men she knew, had fallen apart when he’d lost his wife. His grief had destroyed him. Scarlett couldn’t let that happen to her or Rhett, and so there was no choice but to look forward.

“I close my eyes, and I can see her. I see her climbing into my lap. I can almost feel her little arms wrapped around my neck. If I try hard enough, I can still smell her, and I can still picture her sitting on your lap, stealing food off your plate.” Scarlett sobbed and buried her head against his chest. Waves of pain racked her body. “Rhett, I can’t do this. All I do is the dream about her on that stupid pony, and each time my dreams end, I can’t save her. I’m her mother, and I couldn’t save her.”

Scarlett felt him gently squeeze her in his arms, and for now, that was all the reassurance she needed. Just being with him in the same space as him. Knowing he was there beside her brought her comfort.

“Before we left Atlanta, I went into the nursery. All of her clothing is still there. All of her toys are waiting for her to play with them. And she never will. Is that all that’s left of life when we’re gone, Scarlett?” Rhett asked. “I feel helpless, Scarlett.” Rhett’s words sounded forced, and Scarlett realized that her husband was losing a battle he had fought for years: his need to hide his truth from her. “I feel to blame. You blame me. My mother blames me. Mammy blames me. Everyone blames me for what happened to her.”

“I don’t blame you, Rhett.”

“You do.”

“I should never have said those words to you, Rhett. It wasn’t your fault. I was lashing out at you in anger and frustration. It doesn’t matter now, but I never felt that you listened to anything I had to say regarding Bonnie,” Scarlett confessed, hoping that her admission would not destroy the intimacy they had created.

“Scarlett, I am more to blame than anyone. And how did I react? I had to do something that day, and shooting the horse was momentarily satisfying until I realized it hadn't fixed anything. Bonnie was still gone. I went to Belle’s, but nothing she said or did could change the fact that Bonnie was dead, and it was my fault. And when I sat in that dark room with Bonnie, I felt like the walls were closing in on me. When you came into my room, I wanted to hurt you just as you had always hurt me. I said words that I can never take back. I knew I had hurt you, and so I attacked the mother of my own precious girl. There is nothing but shame in me for all the wrong I did after Bonnie died.”

Scarlett raised herself onto her elbows and looked at him as the words left his lips, and it was almost like seeing him for the first time. Seeing him and knowing that she loved this man. That she had loved this man since the war. That he loved Bonnie as much as he had told her, that he must love her as well, how could he love Bonnie and not love her? It wasn't possible. She wanted to ease his pain. She couldn't stand to see him hurt anymore. It was all too tragic and senseless.

“My father was right,” Rhett continued, and Scarlett sensed that until he had unburdened himself, there could be no peace. “Before he threw me out, he said I would never amount to anything. Everything I did was wrong, and he called me selfish and irresponsible. He was right.”

“No, he wasn’t Rhett.”

“He was, Scarlett,” Rhett blurted out. “Who else would let a small child do what I allowed Bonnie to do? I never said no to her. There were no boundaries. I wanted her to be fearless like her mother. It’s my fault that she’s gone. I couldn’t protect her, Scarlett. How am I going to protect Wade or Ella or you? I feel powerless and out of control.”

“I trust you to protect us, Rhett, and I don’t care what your father may have said. I trust you.” She said the words slowly, hoping he would believe her.

Scarlett felt an overwhelming ache. She couldn’t fully understand it, but she needed him and only him right now. Reaching out in the darkness, Scarlett cupped Rhett's jaw with her hand. Hesitating for a moment, she traced his jawline, the tickle of his facial hair under her fingertips.

Scarlett heard Rhett expel his breath and felt his body stiffen underneath her, his arms tightening around her.

“Rhett, thank you for coming back to me tonight,” Scarlett hesitated, her hands slowly snaking around his neck until she had breached the distance between them.

Their lips met.

Rhett's lips, at first, were soft but became more insistent as he pulled her closer to him. The kiss was slow and innocent, but quickly Scarlett could feel an electricity pass between them. Hearing Rhett moan her name against her lips, unnerved her momentarily. His tongue grazed her bottom lip, and she parted them for him. She returned his moan as their tongues explored each other's mouths. As his hands gripped her tightly to him, her skin felt on fire despite the thin layer of nightgown separating them. Scarlett felt his hand clutch her nightgown and then slide underneath, caressing her back, sending shivers up her body.

Sensing this, Rhett broke their kiss, leaving his hands where they were. His touch was both reassuring and confusing.  
Even in the dark, Scarlett sensed that Rhett was studying her.

“Will we be alright?”

“I don't know, Scarlett."

Could their marriage survive this? Scarlett didn’t know. It was going to be hard to focus on Wade and Ella and each other and not focus on what could have been done differently. It was going to be hard. Very hard. But just a little bit easier because she wasn’t going to go through it alone. If Rhett needed it, she would give him his space and hoped he would do the same. Scarlett realized that her house, her business, her money were not as important as the man laying in her arms quietly watching her.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen to us, Scarlett. It would be a shame to throw away all these years,” Rhett admitted. “I’m exhausted, Scarlett, and I’ve been angry with you for so long. I’ve watched you for the last few months and hated you. I hated how strong you seemed to be carrying on as if nothing happened.”

“I don't know any other way to be, Rhett. You can let me see the pain. You don’t always have to be strong. Sometimes you can let me take care of you. That’s all I want to do.”

“I could say the same to you, Scarlett.”

“We have to make a decision about us.”

“This could all go wrong. We may not make it.”

As the night wore on, Scarlett let herself cry, finally feeling that she could let her control go. Rhett would help her pick up the pieces if it got to be too much. As she lay in his arms, the overwhelming sense of loss was still there, but it was somewhat lessened by his arms, by his breath on her neck, his heart beating against hers. That sense of disaster was still there but not as strong as it had once been. Scarlett suspected that this conversation wouldn’t take away all the pain they both felt. She knew she would wake up the next morning feeling much the same, but maybe little by little, they would both feel better. It might take months or years or the rest of her life, but as long as Rhett was beside her when she went to sleep and held her when she needed him, Scarlett knew she could survive this.

It would take time to get over the stabbing pain of Bonnie’s death, but she knew it would be better if he was beside her, and in time, they could apologize for all the harsh words and accusations that had been uttered. They could no longer be strangers to one another. This was a journey she could not take alone. From the depths of despair, Scarlett needed to make the journey with him. She could not leave him behind, nor could he move on without her.

The question was whether they could trust each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve written a lovey-dovey version of Rhett’s mother. I’m hoping to create a woman who is aware of her shortcomings but still bound by the demands of the society she lives in. It’s hard to strike a balance between the two.
> 
> Many of us hopefully will never experience what Scarlett and Rhett did in losing their child in such a tragic way. If I could step into the book, I would tell Scarlett that as much as she is in shock at witnessing Bonnie's death, to not lash out at Rhett. They needed to be there for each other, mourn together, and know that they are both hurting. I also didn't want to rush Rhett and Scarlett into a physical reconciliation. Neither of them is ready. They need to grieve first, and I don't want a baby to reconcile our favorite "fertile myrtle" and blockade runner.
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked or left a Kudo for this story.


	10. Out Of The Mouth Of Babes

There was a moment of dread before Scarlett was fully awake. The last time she had fallen asleep with Rhett beside her had been after that crazy night following Ashley’s birthday party and the debacle with India and Archie. Confident that Rhett loved her and thinking about how she was going to use that information to her advantage, Scarlett had instead found her bed empty. Waking up alone this morning would destroy her. It had not been a night of rapture; what had transpired was far better. She and Rhett had actually talked and been honest with each other, something that had not happened before. Scarlett had become convinced, in the weeks since Melly’s death, that Rhett had not been altogether honest with her that night.

Rhett’s presence in the bed beside her was proof of it.

For the first time in almost four years, her husband lay sleeping beside her. Turning carefully so as not to wake him, Scarlett took advantage of the unusual occurrence to study his face. There were more lines along Rhett's forehead and around his eyes and mouth than she remembered, but he also looked calmer in his sleep than she had seen him for months. Since Bonnie’s death, his expression, when she bothered to notice, had been anguished. As she considered the fact, he opened his eyes and watched her quietly.

Scarlett smiled shyly at him. “You looked rested, Rhett.”

Shifting his position, Rhett turned on his side and adjusted his head on his pillow. “Scarlett, I am 45 years old, and I'm too damn old to be sleeping on the floor as I have been for the last few weeks.”

“And here I thought I had married a young, dashing blockade runner,” she teased.

“That was a lifetime ago. I’m too old for this,” he admitted.

“We're too old for this,” Scarlett emphasized the last word.

“I was waiting for a genuine invitation back into your bed,” Rhett confessed, not taking his eyes from her.

Scarlett felt her cheeks flush and buried her face in her pillow. “Oh, Rhett, I am a stupid fool,” she said, lifting her head and looking into his eyes. “I know I've already told you this, but I should never have banned you from our bed, Rhett, and I'm sorry I kept you waiting for so long.”

“Four years, Scarlett,” Rhett drawled.

“If it makes you feel any better,” Scarlett offered, “I regretted it almost as soon as the words left my lips. I just didn’t know how to take them back.”

“That doesn't surprise me.” Rhett looked at her with a questioning stare. “I would be surprised if Ashley Wilkes wasn’t behind your little proclamation.”

“He was,” Scarlett breathed guiltily.

“What did he say?”

“I’m not sure -”

“Please, Scarlett,” Rhett urged.

Scarlett hesitated, but after the events of yesterday, she did not want to withhold anything from Rhett. “He said that you had, what was the word, coarsened me. When he told me that he couldn’t stand the thought of you touching me, I thought it was because he loved me and I believed he meant for us to be physically true to each other. I thought he cared about me, but now I know he didn’t, at least not in the way I wanted him to,” Scarlett admitted, seeing the irritation on Rhett’s face that he was trying to hide. “I’m sorry, Rhett. I’m sorry that I messed everything up."

“I wish I had fought harder to change your mind. I could have explained to you other ways of avoiding pregnancy, but instead, I insulted you." Rhett lifted his head, cradling it using his hand. "Your announcement blindsided me. Some of my happiest memories took place in the warmth of our bed, with you secure in my arms. And I was so proud of you and Bonnie, that I couldn't understand why you did not feel the same."

"I miss those moments too, Rhett," she mumbled.

"Do you?"

Scarlett nodded her head.

"Then why didn't you say anything, Scarlett?"

"Because you didn't seem to care much. You told me my bed held no charms for you and there were plenty of other -"

The heavy sound of expiration of breath from Rhett stopped her.

"Do you remember everything I've ever said to you, Scarlett?" he muttered.

"No, Rhett. I -" she stuttered nervously, "I seem to be unable to forget some of the hurtful things you've said."

Rhett's eyes closed, and Scarlett wondered again if she had said too much. Watching his face, she saw a series of emotions play across it without really knowing what he was thinking. Her body jerked slightly when his eyes opened again.

"Scarlett, I am ashamed of how I threw my acquaintance - no, my relationship, with Belle in your face. I wanted to hurt you in much the same way your relationship with Ashley pained me. And now, I can see that I succeeded." Rhett fought the voices advising him to stop talking. “And you’re not like any other woman, I’ve discovered.”

"Are you trying to be charming?" Scarlett teased, shifting to mirror his position.

Rhett did not smile.

"Scarlett, I knew from the first moment that we met at Twelve Oaks that you were different from other women. I recall a stunningly beautiful, flirtatious, fiery, brave girl who flouted tradition and who seemed not to care what others thought of her. I had never encountered a woman who aroused my curiosity as you did. That exchange in the library convinced me that I would never find myself bored with you. Your unpredictability was refreshing and still is."

Scarlett felt herself blush at his words. And yet, she had lived in fear that Rhett would reveal her secret to someone. Melly? Aunt Pittypat? Her parents? Atlanta's Old Guard? She had shamelessly chased Ashley for years, and it terrified her that Rhett could expose her.

"How you do run on, Rhett." Scarlett shifted onto her back, no longer able to look at him.

"Though I did not lay eyes on you again until a year later, you were never far from my thoughts. When I glimpsed you across that crowded room, I saw a woman on the verge of rebellion."

"Rhett, please stop." She studied the ceiling.

"No, Scarlett, I need you to believe that even if you had not been in Atlanta on that night, I would have eventually found my way to you. Had I not come along that night, you would have been miserable in Atlanta."

"I loved being in Atlanta, Rhett," Scarlett exclaimed, stealing a quick glance at him.

Leaning towards her, Rhett's face was too close to hers.

"Your widowhood set you apart from everyone, Scarlett, and I wonder how long you could have withstood that burden. Would you have returned to Tara once the novelty of Atlanta wore off? I mean no disrespect to Miss Pittypat or Miss Melly, but I don't think their companionship would have held much appeal for too long."

Scarlett bit her lip. He wasn't wrong, Scarlett thought. Aunt Pitty and Melanie had been quite a bore to live with. Leaning away from her, Rhett laughed at her silence.

"When your father found me several nights later, my greatest fear was that he would demand that I stay away from you."

"I always wondered what happened between you and Pa.

The night that Gerald had been escorted home by Rhett had always intrigued Scarlett. It had taken minimal effort on her part to convince her father to allow her to stay in Atlanta, which led Scarlett to briefly wonder what had been discussed.

Rhett grinned mischievously. "Both your father and I knew how you would be treated when your association with me became known to the people of Atlanta, but as we spoke long into the night, I could see that your father was warming to me. He had arrived in America with nothing but the clothing on his back and yet, found himself a wealthy planter, married to a great lady and three beautiful daughters. How could he deny the same to me? I'm not sure what was said to you by your father the next day, but though I did not mention marriage, I did want to court you."

"You did?"

Rhett chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Yes, I did. During the war, I would check my watch countless times during the day to ensure that I was always waiting for you when you emerged from the hospital. It took all my self-restraint not to tell you how I felt when I held you in my arms as we danced or as we sat watching a play. I wanted desperately to lean towards you and whisper in your ear how I felt. I wish I had. Everything might have been different."

"What did you feel?" Scarlett asked, wanting to move closer to Rhett but not wanting to break the fragile peace between them. She looked into his black eyes and wished she could see into his mind. Was he telling her the truth?

“I'm not sure if this is a good idea.” Rhett exhaled deeply and looked genuinely melancholy.

“I understand.”

“No, you don’t, Scarlett, but thank you for not pushing me to answer -” Rhett hesitated. “and thank you for being so kind last night.”

“Rhett, can I ask you something?”

“Yes.”

“What are we doing here?”

“I don't think I understand.”

“Yes, you do.”

“I don't know, Scarlett.”

“You didn't leave,” she offered.

“I didn't,” he confirmed.

“You stayed.”

“I did unlike during the war when I disappeared, without a word, from town every time I got close to telling you the truth." He reached out to stroke her cheek.

"I never knew where you went, or when or if you would return, Rhett," she muttered.

"I was always coming back, Scarlett," he paused, and Scarlett could see he was debating saying more. "I should never have told you I was not a marrying man when it was the furthest thing from the truth. It was not my finest moment when I insulted you by asking you to be my mistress, Scarlett. That was the last thing I wanted. What I wanted was to ask you to be my wife, but again, my uncertainties got the best of me."

Scarlett closed her eyes, her skin tingling under his fingers. Rhett wanted to tell her that he loved her, had loved her since the war, but for some reason, he couldn't. That fact should have annoyed her before and should have hurt her today, but it didn't. That night during the war on Aunt Pitty's porch finally made sense, and in his own time, Scarlett was hopeful, Rhett would reveal all.

“I'm not ready to make any promises, Scarlett. Let's see what happens. By next week you may be the one that wants to be rid of me.”

* * *

As Rosemary’s wedding day drew closer, Scarlett found herself spending more of her time with Rhett’s sister and mother, who had taken to observing her. Between appointments to have Rosemary's dress fitted and making last-minute selections, Scarlett found that she and Rhett spent very little time together. There were always people coming by the house to visit with Rosemary, or Scarlett found herself out and about in Charleston with Eleanor and Rosemary visiting and preparing for Rosemary’s upcoming nuptials.

It subsequently left Scarlett very little time to spend with Wade and Ella, but fortunately, Rhett made up for her absence by spending quite a lot of time with the children. It seemed a bit odd to Scarlett that no one seemed to stop by to visit with him, and he never mentioned visiting old friends. She would have to remember to ask Eleanor about that; Scarlett was confident that Rhett would skirt the issue.

While Scarlett was busy with wedding plans, Rhett made it a point to take Wade and Ella out daily. Ella was so excited after each day as she recounted to Scarlett where Rhett had taken them and what they had done. There were visits to a nearby park and walks along the Battery watching ships sail by. Ella had been beside herself the day that she had accompanied Rhett into town, where he proceeded to buy her candy and a beautiful porcelain doll that looked exactly like her down to the shade of hair. Since the birth of Bonnie, Ella had never gotten to go out with Rhett by herself. Bonnie had always been part of Rhett’s outings.

Wade, who still hadn’t said a word, exhibited no opposition to joining his sister and step-father, but Rhett confided in Scarlett that he would have liked to take the boy sailing or riding, but he wasn’t sure if Wade was ready for such an outing. Visits to Rhett’s tailor to buy the boy new clothing had been quiet affairs. Plans to visit the ruined Butler plantation were put off when Wade showed no interest in such an outing.

Upon arriving back at the Battery house after her daily outings, Scarlett would make her way up the nursery and often find Rhett sitting on the floor, playing dolls with Ella, or reading a book with the girl. Wade would appear to be listening, but Scarlett was not sure he was focused on a word that was uttered by his sister or step-father. An abandoned chessboard was left on a nearby table. All attempts to draw Wade out of his self-imposed silence had failed.

As much as Wade concerned her, Scarlett did not quite understand Rhett's behavior. After that first night, they had continued to sleep in the same bed, both very careful to remain on their respective side. During the day, she watched him closely but still did not know where they were on the road to reconciliation. Was it because they were in his mother’s house? Maybe it helped that they were both otherwise occupied in Charleston that they had little time to fall into the pattern of bickering that had marked their daily life in Atlanta. They had not argued once since their arrival in Charleston, but the intimacy of that moment had slowly transitioned into something that Scarlett could not name or explain.

There had been a brief moment when she went to sleep the night of Ella’s birthday when Scarlett had hoped that her relationship with Rhett would change drastically. After her impulsive decision to not share a bed with him, Scarlett had immediately missed talking to him about her day. There was no way Rhett was interested in hearing about Rosemary's dress fittings and wedding arrangements, but he listened to her, injecting questions and offering suggestions. But beyond that, it did not seem that Rhett was ready for more.

There were a few evenings when Rhett took her out to plays or concerts and even dances, but those occasions had felt awkward. During one dinner, he had laughed heartily at her reaction to trying freshly shucked oysters. There had been shopping on King Street one afternoon, and just like early on in their marriage, he had denied her nothing.

Scarlett kept her thoughts mostly to herself and didn't quite know what to talk to Rhett about, not wanting to say the wrong thing. In a house full of people, Scarlett often felt lonely. While she found it easier to talk to Rhett’s mother and Rosemary was a nice young woman, Scarlett knew that if forced to choose, they would pick Rhett. In the short term, she could lean on them, but she expected nothing in the long term.

Though the weather was cooler than Atlanta with Charleston being so much closer to the open water, there were some days when Scarlett would join Rhett and the children as they strolled down along the waterfront. On one such afternoon, Scarlett had insisted to Rosemary and Eleanor that her children needed some of her attention, and Scarlett surprised the children and Rhett by accompanying them on their daily outing. Rhett had not argued with her suggestion that they pay a visit to Carreen. Scarlett had never thought of introducing her sister and her husband, but the visit went better than she expected. Rhett was charming, and Carreen seemed delighted to meet her other brother-in-law finally. The Aunts had probably told Carreen all about the cad her sister had married.

After a leisurely visit at the convent school with Carreen, Scarlett strolled beside Rhett, while Wade and Ella were walking slightly ahead of them. As they neared Eleanor’s home on the Battery, Scarlett caught a flash of blue. Up ahead walked a little girl of about four years old wearing a blue velvet jacket the same color as their little Bonnie had worn. She felt Rhett’s stop beside her.

“Is it always going to hurt so much to see a little girl with curly hair like Bonnie or a blue velvet dress?” she whispered, her eyes focused on the child.

“I don’t know.” Rhett shrugged his shoulders and turned to look out over the water. "I suppose."

The little girl passed by with her parents. When she was gone, Scarlett turned her head to focus on Rhett’s profile. When Bonnie had wanted something, her face set with the same determination as her father.

“Do you ever think about what she would have been like as a young lady, Rhett?”

Rhett snickered softly.

“I think she would have been beautiful and flirtatious and smart and intelligent,” Scarlett said lightly when Rhett didn’t answer. “I also think she would have manipulated us into getting whatever her heart desired.”

“I think she would have been just like you, Scarlett, and nothing you or I could have done would have made her into a lady,” he teased.

“My mother had little success, so I suppose you would be right,” she admitted.

“I was just so happy after Bonnie was born with both of you - no, all of you in my life -” Rhett confessed.

“And I was jealous of her.”

“Jealous?” Rhett asked.

“Because of how much you loved her. You paid more attention to her than me, and I always loved being the center of attention, and I wasn't when she came along,” Scarlett turned her face to watch the boats out on the glistening water.

“I wish I had done so many things differently, Scarlett. Sometimes I wish I had listened to you and Mammy about not spoiling her, but I felt she was all I had. And I certainly did not want her to be raised as I was.”

“Was your father strict, Rhett?” Scarlett knew so little about her late father-in-law. Other than Rhett's mention of the man's death and the stories of his banishment, Rhett did not speak of his father. Oddly enough, neither Eleanor or Rosemary ever spoke of the man.

“With my brother and me, yes. More so with me than Robert because I was the oldest. I could never meet his expectations,” Rhett conceded.

Scarlett, who was watching Rhett’s face intently, turned her head absentmindedly towards the children. She did not notice that Ella, who had always been a little flighty, a challenge to keep still and who often got lost or wandered off, had stepped off of the sidewalk onto the road.

Suddenly, Scarlett heard Wade’s screaming as he flung his arm out, ”Ella, look out!”

These were the first words he had uttered since learning of his aunt's death.

Had Wade not reached out for his sister and pulled her towards him, Ella would have certainly been run over by a carriage that had veered too close to the sidewalk. Both Scarlett and Rhett rushed towards Ella, who was frozen to the spot. The shock of being yelled at by her brother and the flurry of movement of both the horse and her parents had Ella sobbing uncontrollably by the time Rhett reached her. Rhett grabbed Ella off the road and swung her in his arms and nodded towards Wade, who stood with a stunned expression on his face and tears streaming down his face.

“Wade, baby, you did so well. You saved your sister,” Scarlett cried, pulling Wade into her arms.

“Oh, Momma,” Wade sobbed, not caring that he was in the middle of the street and that other people had stopped to watch.

“You’re such a brave boy,” Scarlett repeated, overwhelmed by what had just happened and how close Ella had been to being trampled by the hooves of the horses.

“Momma, I'm sorry,” Wade cried, burying his head against his mother’s chest.

“For what? Don’t worry, baby, let’s get you home.”

Ella was nestled safely in Rhett's arms, and Scarlett walked the rest of the way to the Battery home with her arms around Wade’s shoulders, keeping him close to her body. When they arrived back, they took the children upstairs to the nursery, and while Rhett settled Ella down for a nap after the excitement of her near accident, Scarlett sat beside Wade on his bed.

Stroking the hair from his forehead, Scarlett whispered, “You know you scared Rhett and me, Wade when you wouldn’t say anything.”

“I'm sorry.” The boy looked down at his lap.

“Can you tell me why you stopped speaking?” Scarlett reached underneath Wade's chin and tipped it gently up. Every day the boy looked more like Charles.

“I don’t know,” he mumbled.

“Don’t know or don’t want to tell us?” Rhett said. Ella had finally calmed down enough to drift off to sleep.

Scarlett watched Wade hesitantly look from her to Rhett.

“I was scared. Momma had been sick for such a long time, and then Bonnie died, and Auntie died, and I thought -” Wade hesitated.

“Thought what?” Rhett probed.

“That something would happen to you. You were never home, and when you were, you looked sick,” Wade confessed, looking at his stepfather. “That you would leave us again like when you took Bonnie, and I was afraid you would not come back.”

“Wade,” Rhett said, sitting down beside him on the nursery bed. “I’m sorry you and your sister had to see that. I wasn’t well after Bonnie died -”

“Because you loved her more than Ella and me?”

Rhett looked up at Scarlett and then leaned towards Wade, pulling him into his arms. “I’m sorry that you ever thought or felt that Wade. I didn’t mean to make you feel that I didn’t love you or your sister because I do - very much. I know I’m not the father you wanted or the one you deserve, but I'm trying.” Rhett rested his head gently on the top of Wade’s head and looked at Scarlett, who sat quietly watching them. “I loved both you and your sister from the first moment I saw you. I remember that during the war, it would drive your mother to distraction that you would only settle in my arms. I would sit on the porch holding you or bouncing you on my knee, and you would giggle and squeal. Your mother never looked happy, but I loved it. You’ve always been my boy, Wade. Always. Do you understand?”

Wade lifted his head and looked up with his doe-like eyes. “Yes, sir.”

“Wade, what did I say to you and Ella on the day of Ella’s birthday? Do you remember?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

When he had finally settled Wade in the nursery and left Scarlett in their bedroom, Rhett went downstairs into the library. He needed a few minutes of quiet to calm his mind and organize his thoughts. The urge to pour himself a drink was so strong he did not think he could stop himself.

Wade’s honesty had surprised him and saddened him. Both he and Scarlett had been so wrapped up in their personal war that Wade and Ella and Bonnie had paid the most substantial price. When he married Scarlett, in promising to take care of her, he had also inadvertently made the same promise to her two children, that he already loved. He had failed in all his vows.

After his wedding to Scarlett, their relationship had changed, but things had worsened after her miscarriage. In his more lucid moments, he was disgusted with the way he’d acted after Scarlett had lost the baby. His baby. There had never been any doubt as to who had fathered that child. Instead of going to his wife, his cowardice had kept him out of her sickroom, and no one - not Mammy or Melly or Dr. Meade - could convince him otherwise. He had killed his child, and for many sleepless nights, Rhett believed he had killed Scarlett. That she had not died was the silver lining in an otherwise dark cloud.

Rhett cringed when he considered the way that everyone, but especially Dr. Meade, had looked at him. What did Dr. Meade suspect? Rhett was willing to bet that the good doctor thought that he had something to do with Scarlett's tumble down the stairs after discovering the true paternity of the child. That there was no scandal about who the father of the lost baby was, confounded Rhett. It was odd that those rumors about Scarlett had never circled the parlors of Atlanta’s ladies.

There were two possibilities. Either the kind people of Atlanta were too dignified to discuss their suspicions openly, but that seemed unlikely. All of Scarlett and his wrongdoings were popular topics to be discussed over tea by the women or over whisky by their husbands. Rhett had never heard a whisper of a rumor.

Or, no one believed that Scarlett would have engaged in a physical relationship with Ashley; therefore, the child could belong to no one but her husband. If that was the case, Rhett was angered by their silence. People frequently believed the worst of Scarlett, but obviously, she couldn’t be as bad as they made her out to be. The people of Atlanta had treated Scarlett abysmally; he had led the way.

He had harbored such high hopes for his marriage to Scarlett, but now that they had a second chance, he felt that he was failing once again. Rhett was so lost in his own thoughts that he did not hear the commotion in the hallway.

“What happened, Rhett?” Eleanor Butler demanded as she entered the room, clearly short of breath. “Mrs. Brewton mentioned there was an accident.”

“There was no accident, Mother. Wade saw to that,” Rhett drawled. “Ella wandered onto the road and just missed getting trampled by a carriage.”

“Oh, dear! Is she hurt?” Eleanor exclaimed, looking towards the staircase.

“Ella is unharmed. Shaken but otherwise fine.”

“Thank goodness, Rhett.”

“I agree, Mother.”

Rhett watched his mother sit in one of the upholstered chairs nearest to his and instantly understood that there was something she wanted to say.

“Mother?”

Arranging her skirts, Eleanor folded her hands on her lap. “I refrained from asking too many questions when you showed up at my door with Bonnie, and I will admit that I was a bit surprised when you and Scarlett and the children agreed to come to visit without a fight. I’m afraid that I am going to do something now that I vowed I would never do.” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “I know that something is wrong between you and your wife, and I need you to tell me what it is.”

“Mother, it’s none of your business -”

“You are my son, and therefore, this is my business. I’ve been watching both of you since you arrived, and my heart is telling me that something is very wrong,” Eleanor insisted. “Perhaps, I can help.”

“There is nothing you can do to help, and I don’t wish to discuss my marriage with you,” Rhett explained and then stood from his chair. "I stopped being your business long ago. I will see you at supper, Mother."

His hand was on the doorknob when his mother spoke.

"Sit down, Rhett," Eleanor demanded, her voice harsh.

Rhett stopped abruptly and looked back at his mother.

"I have things to do, Mother and I would rather not be spoken to like -"

"Like what, Rhett? A child?" Eleanor asked. "Then stop acting like one."

His hand dropped from the doorknob to his side.

“Why did you marry the girl, Rhett? From everything I’ve been told, you seem to enjoy the company of certain other people more than each other.”

Closing his eyes, Rhett squeezed them tight to try to relieve the sudden pain in his head. Turning around, he returned to his seat.

“I married Scarlett, Mother, because I couldn’t imagine my life without her anymore. I have never loved anyone as much as I loved Scarlett - that is until Bonnie came along. I have known her since she was a sixteen-year-old belle, and since that day, she has never left my thoughts. I had to live knowing that she had married two other men and had children by each of them. Her marriage to her second husband almost killed me because I could have prevented it.”

“How?”

“It doesn’t matter, Mother. I could have prevented it, and I didn’t.”

While Scarlett’s deception in coming to see him at the jail had initially hurt him, the news of her marriage to Frank had threatened to destroy him. By the time she was pregnant with Ella, he had wanted to kill Frank Kennedy. Rhett had begun to think of Scarlett as his by that point, and the biggest regret of his life to date had been his stubbornness. He should have married her when he had the chance.

Instead, he had masked his feelings for her and took on the thankless role of Scarlett O’Hara Hamilton Kennedy’s friend. Watching her grow heavy with a child that should have been his had driven him almost mad, and fleeing Atlanta until after Ella’s birth was his only recourse. There had been nights when he had had to restrain himself from going to Scarlett and whisking her away from a man who didn’t deserve her and could never love her the way he did.

Rhett smirked. Yes, he had loved her and yet, had never honestly told her how he felt. Teasing her and masking his own feelings towards her was the only way he could interact with her, without her finding out precisely how he felt. Then when he had finally caught her, all his actions, he could now admit, had sabotaged the marriage. He had taunted her and been cruel in his actions or words. How could he have carried on with Belle and then openly thrown his relationship with Belle at Scarlett? None of that was Scarlett’s fault. He had been afraid of loving her, and Rhett wondered if there was more to it. Was he afraid of being loved?

Rhett looked up at his mother, who was watching him intently, waiting for him to continue. His mother was the one person he was supposed to trust, and even now, he doubted that he could. Eleanor Butler, his own mother, had rejected him years before, and Rhett wondered if it had cost him the happiness he could have found with Scarlett, who, unlike his mother, had never abandoned her children and likely never would. The only person who had never rejected him was Bonnie, but she was gone. If he hoped ever to achieve any measure of happiness, he would need to make peace with his mother.

And that’s when Rhett Butler did something he never thought he would do: he told his mother everything. Starting at the White Oaks barbeque, he spoke of the bazaar and courting a beautiful young widow. Blushing, he told her of his suggestion to Scarlett to become his mistress, as well as his abandonment of her on the road to Rough and Ready. The episode in the jailhouse and his pursuit of a married woman was told with embarrassment. He did not leave out his proposal following Frank’s death or his detachment on his honeymoon. His mother listened without cringing when Rhett recounted his attempt to embarrass Scarlett with the store sign, and she listened quietly when he told her of Bonnie’s birth and the subsequent discussion that left Rhett out of Scarlett’s bed. Belle Watling’s name came up several times, as did Ashley Wilkes'. Rhett faltered slightly when he described the events of the night of Ashley’s birthday, his departure with Bonnie, and his role in Scarlett’s fall. Eleanor looked sad when he spoke of his treatment of Scarlett after the miscarriage, Bonnie’s death, and the night of Melanie Wilke’s tragic end.

His mother listened to everything he said, asked a few questions, and then, once Rhett had finished talking, sat quietly, processing all the information with tears in her eyes.

When she finally spoke, Rhett was afraid of the judgment she would issue. “I could assume that you are lying Rhett Butler, but you have made yourself sound like a cruel, heartless man, so I take it that you are not down-playing your role in this mess.”

“I tried not to, Mother, but I'm sure Scarlett would make it sound worse, and a few weeks ago, you would have heard a different story altogether from me,” he admitted.

His mother looked at him thoughtfully for a long moment.

“You are a fool, Rhett. You don't deserve her. You claim to love her, and when she needed kindness and refuge, you were cruel and heartless,” his mother stated, the disappointment evident in her tone.

“I certainly don't deserve her, but I'm not sure what I need to do to change that,” Rhett hesitated. “I feel more and more like Father. I didn’t want a marriage like yours or so many of the other women around Charleston who have to deal with their husband’s mistresses, bastard children, and that’s exactly what I created.”

“You're nothing -”

Rhett stared at his mother. He had taunted, criticized, and demeaned Scarlett in the same ways his father had treated his mother. He would rather kill himself than allow Wade to treat his future wife in the same manner, or for Ella to think that was acceptable from her own future spouse. In so many ways, he was the man he had spent the last thirty or so years hating.

"I'm sorry I wasn't a better mother to you, Rhett."

"What are -"

"I'm sorry that I picked my husband over my child. That choice has haunted me for twenty-five years, and I look at you, and I realize that who you've become is as much my fault as it is your father's. But you know what you need to do, Rhett. Scarlett is the best thing that's ever happened to you."

Rhett watched his mother nervously wringing her hands in her lap, waiting for his response. He wasn't sure he knew what to say to her.

“Rhett, have you ever apologized to anyone in your life?”

He looked at her with the blank expression he often wore.

“I didn't think so,” she murmured. “Start there, and if that doesn’t work, show her that you’re sorry.”

“What if that doesn’t work?”

“Then, you have to accept your fault, and that you couldn’t fix it.” Eleanor sighed. “But I don’t think it’ll come to that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been asked by a few readers on the other site if I plan to update more frequently. The simple answer is that I'm trying. I spent the week doing a massive reorganization of the last part of the story. Some days life does not cooperate. Turning off the news would help. One day early is a start, right?
> 
> Next up: Rosemary's wedding.
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked, or left a Kudo for this story.


	11. A Charleston Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies. This chapter is not as polished as I would like it. Maybe I'll come back to it someday. It is what it is.

Rosemary's wedding quickly approached and the detente that had been forged between Scarlett and Rhett held. On the morning before the nuptials were set to take place a note arrived from Carreen just as Scarlett was sitting down to breakfast. Other than the routine notes from Uncle Henry who kept her appraised of the weekly sales at the store, Scarlett received no other correspondence. Not even Will had written to her.

Instantly recognizing her youngest sister’s flowery script as her eyes landed on the envelope, Scarlett felt a twinge of guilt as she realized that besides an exchange of cards at Christmas and a letter announcing the birth of Ella and Bonnie and her marriage to Rhett, that she had been a poor correspondent with her younger sister. Not that she was better about corresponding with Suellen, but Tara was so much closer to Atlanta, and regular correspondence with Will was necessary. Scarlett found it easy to talk to Will. They spoke of repairs needed for both the house and the farm, and they discussed yields and other plans to make Tara the thriving plantation that it had once been when Gerald had been alive.

Notes from Tara also arrived regularly in Atlanta, usually announcing the birth of another Benteen child. In the seven or so years that Suellen had been married to Will, three children, all girls, had been born to her sister and brother-in-law. Other than the superficial questions about Suellen and her nieces, she and Will rarely exchanged personal information. Their relationship was focused on Tara, and that was just fine by Scarlett. Will was not an overly talkative man, and it wasn’t that Scarlett didn’t trust him, it was just that Scarlett had found little time to engage in pleasantries with the man that had helped her save Tara. Will was a good man, and she liked him immensely.

Secretly, Scarlett thought that Suellen had married someone far kinder than she deserved and infinitely more suitable than Frank Kennedy had ever been. Scarlett still didn’t understand what Suellen had seen in the whiskered gentleman, despite having been married to him herself.

Jarred out of her reverie by the sound of footsteps on the stairs, Scarlett opened Carreen’s note.

**Dearest Scarlett,**

**I was hoping that you might find the time to visit with me today. There is an urgent matter that I need to discuss with you.**

**I so enjoyed seeing Wade and Ella and meeting Rhett during our last visit. I do understand that the children might have been bored, but I hope that you will agree to meet with me. I have missed you.**

**Love,**  
**Your sister**

During her last visit, Scarlett had suspected that something was bothering her sister. Carreen had seemed happy and had asked her niece and nephew questions about their pastimes and how they were enjoying their time in Charleston. Stories had been recounted by Carreen to Wade and Ella about their mother and aunts’ childhoods at Tara, but as Scarlett sat watching Carreen talk with Rhett later, something had been odd. Scarlett did not realize it until their visit was at an end. It had looked like Carreen had wanted to say something to her, but the opportunity had not presented itself with Rhett and the children close by. Scarlett had forgotten about it almost as soon as she and Rhett began to lead the children home. It was on the same afternoon of Ella's near accident and Wade's recovery.

Scarlett looked up from Carreen's note as Rosemary and Eleanor entered the dining room and took their seats next to her. Rhett followed closely behind his mother and sister and settled himself beside his wife.

“Good morning, Scarlett,” Eleanor greeted her as she picked up a linen napkin from the table and sighed.

"Good morning Mother," Scarlett said, folding Carreen's note and tucking it off to the side. "Rosemary."

"Rhett, to what do we owe your presence at our table this morning?" His mother quipped.

Scarlett had not expected to see Rhett this morning. More often than not, he would have woken, dressed, breakfast and left the house prior to Scarlett opening her eyes in the morning. Just like in Atlanta, Rhett spent most of his mornings in Charleston off on his own, presumably engaging in some business-related activity.

"I thought I could be of some assistance to my dear sister," Rhett explained, taking a drink of his coffee.

"Thank goodness for your wedding, Rosemary," Eleanor said to no one in particular. "We still have so much to complete today that I will at least be able to avoid going to Mrs. Brewton's, as it is her day at home."

"Mother, I'm shocked that you think so little of your reputation and obligations to suggest that -, "

"Hush, Rhett!" Eleanor interrupted, her eyes twinkling back at her son. "These infernal obligations are getting to be too much."

"Mother!" Rosemary exclaimed, also amused by her mother's declaration.

"Well, it’s true, Rosemary. There is so much left to arrange, and we seem to spend more time sitting sipping tea than anything else." Turning to speak to Scarlett, Eleanor asked, "Will you be available to assist us or has my son concocted a plan to free you from our grasp?"

Scarlett stammered while Rhett looked on. "Rhett and I have no such plans." Indicating the note beside her dish, she continued. "I had hoped to check in on my sister Carreen. She sent a note this morning and I get the feeling that she is not quite herself."

"Not quite herself?" Rhett repeated. "I only met her the one time, Scarlett, but your sister did not appear to be very happy when we left."

"Poor Carreen. Other than my aunts, she has hardly spent time with anyone in our family for years and here I am, in Charleston, and I've only visited her twice," Scarlett disclosed, placing her hand on the note. "I'll be available to help you today, Rosemary but once the wedding has passed, I'll make sure to visit her more often until we leave."

"Since you and Rhett will be with us for quite some time, I'm certain that you will see your sister often," Eleanor stated confidently.

"Mother," Rhett warned.

"Yes?" Eleanor asked innocently.

"Scarlett and I must get back to Atlanta soon -"

"Nonsense!" Rosemary exclaimed, reaching across the table to grasp Scarlett's hand. "It will be Christmas in a few days and then the ball -"

"Rosemary, darling, both Scarlett and I have responsibilities in Atlanta. Scarlett has her store and -"

"The store will still be there after the St. Cecilia ball. Why would you deprive your beautiful wife of the pleasure of attending such a memorable event?" Rosemary countered, squeezing Scarlett's hand. "Scarlett, you must stay for the ball."

"Rhett is correct. We need to get back to Atlanta." Scarlett had been happy to quietly watch her husband interact with his mother and sister. They spoke to him in a way that was both teasing yet insistent. Though she felt much more comfortable with them now than when she had first arrived in Charleston, Scarlett was still worried about what they thought of her, especially Eleanor. Eleanor knew things about her that she had never shared with another living person, not even Rhett.

Scarlett felt some guilt over their decision to remain in Charleston over the holidays but she saw how happy it made Eleanor to have all her children around her for Christmas. It had been a very long time since that had last happened and Scarlett did not want to disappoint her. Secretly, Scarlett was worried about Beau and Ashley being alone with only Aunt Pitty, Uncle Henry, and India. Her broken promise to Beau bothered her at times. This would be a year of both happy and sad firsts.

"Scarlett and I will let you know of our final plans once we make a decision, Mother," Rhett asserted and then turned to his sister. "Now please tell me what you need me to do to ensure we can get you married tomorrow."

Neither Eleanor or Rosemary caught the silent exchange between Rhett and Scarlett: a mischievous wink and a grateful smile.

* * *

"Rosemary? Are you awake?" Scarlett knocked softly on her sister-in-law's door. "Are you asleep yet? Rosemary?"

Scarlett heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the heavy wooden door. Rosemary opened the door and smiled at her. "Come in, Scarlett." Closing the door softly behind Scarlett, Rosemary asked, "Why are you still awake?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Scarlett countered, settling herself in the chair opposite Rosemary's bed and watched Rosemary carefully, as she sat beside her.

Scarlett had spent all day thinking about what she was about to do. She had gone and forth in her resolve since breakfast. Rosemary might view her as a meddler after this but there was no way Scarlett could fall asleep until the task had been accomplished. Tiptoeing softly out of her room, Scarlett was glad that Rhett had not stirred from his sleep.

"Do you want to know a secret, Scarlett?" Rosemary whispered conspiratorially. "I am too excited to fall asleep."

"Has your mother said good night?" Scarlett asked.

"Yes." Rosemary blushed and turned away ever so slightly. "Mother was here a little while ago."

"So she -" Scarlett stammered, her face reddening.

"Told me what was expected of me by my husband on our wedding night," Rosemary finished, nodding her response.

Standing up, Scarlett replied, "Good. I'm glad. Good night, Rosemary."

Before Scarlett reached the bedroom door she heard Rosemary laugh, "Scarlett?"

Turning back to face her, Scarlett attempted to appear confident.

"Yes?"

"Is there something you want to say to me?"

"No. Well yes," Scarlett stuttered. "What did your mother say?"

"Not very much," Rosemary admitted and Scarlett was suddenly angry with her mother-in-law.

"You know that you don't need to," Scarlett sighed and crossed the room to sit beside Rosemary once more, "endure anything."

"Scarlett -"

"I must tell you, Rosemary, that my first wedding night was horrible," Scarlett confessed thinking of the brief and rather uninformative lecture her mother had delivered.

"Was it?" Rosemary asked.

"Oh yes, Rosemary. I actually screamed at Charles to stay away from me, and he ended up sleeping in a chair beside my bed," Scarlett admitted, blushing at the memory.

"He didn't," Rosemary giggled and hastily covered her mouth to hide her amusement

"He did." Chuckling softly, Scarlett continued, "It was only the second night when he finally well, you know, and it was horrible Rosemary. It was painful and unpleasant, and I'm sure he had never been with a woman before so he had no idea and it was horrible. I cried and regretted my hasty decision to marry him."

"But surely -"

"Charles was dead a short time later," Scarlett interrupted, knowing her courage would fail her if she didn't say what she needed to quickly. "My second husband Frank was no better. I lay there with my eyes shut, every week, thinking about the account books or what I needed to order for the store."

Rosemary suppressed her laugh. "Oh, dear."

"Yes. I hated Wednesdays for that reason," Scarlett admitted and then added softly, "And then I married your brother and well, it doesn't need to be endured, Rosemary. I wish my mother had told me differently, but I suspect she knew no different." Scarlett paused suddenly, a look of comprehension crossing her face.

"What is it, Scarlett?"

Scarlett squeezed her eyes tightly so as not to cry at the absurdity of her realization. "I just wonder, Rosemary, which of my aunts discussed her impending wedding night with my mother? Her own mother was not around - "

Scarlett's last words trailed off. It made so much sense, she suddenly realized.

"Scarlett?"

Her head snapped up, "Yes?"

Scarlett took in the mischievous grin on Rosemary's face. "Surely my brother mentioned to you that he and I have already had this conversation."

"Rhett?" Scarlett replied stupidly.

"Yes, he insisted that I not go into my wedding night believing such nonsense like most women."

"Why didn't you stop me?"

"He asked me not to if you visited me tonight." Rosemary laughed but still managed to look slightly ashamed.

"I hate your brother," Scarlett proclaimed.

After assuring Rosemary that she was not upset with her, Scarlett crept back to her room. As she slipped underneath the cool sheets, she felt a tinge of jealousy towards her sister-in-law. Rosemary would not suffer in the same way she had. Scarlett had only experienced that one night of unbridled passion and while that man slumbered beside her, he made no move to make love to her. She sighed deeply as she adjusted herself under the covers.

"Where have you been, Scarlett?" Scarlett felt Rhett's body convulse as he lay laughing beside her.

"I hate you, Rhett Butler."

Scarlett felt as Rhett turned towards her and wrapped his arm around her, gently tugging her body so that he lay close behind her. She could feel his hot breath on her neck.

"Good night, Scarlett."

Scarlett huffed in response but mumbled, "Goodnight, Rhett," as sleep claimed her.

* * *

The day of Rosemary's wedding dawned crisp and sunny.

Rosemary's engagement to a young man from a prominent Charleston family was the announcement of the year. There were some ladies who whispered, behind Eleanor Butler's back of course, that it was a lucky circumstance that Rosemary had made a good match. Her age, in addition to the quarter-century-old scandal of the eldest Butler child, had many Charlestonian ladies betting that Rosemary would become a spinster.

The wedding, just before Christmas, was sure to be the event of the season.

Despite Rosemary and Eleanor doing their best to keep the details of the day quiet, everyone in Charleston knew when and where Rosemary Butler's wedding would take place.

When the carriage came to a stop at the corner of Broad and Meeting streets, Scarlett had to crane her next to see the steeple of the church. The front of the church had magnificent columns and a beautiful two-story portico. Scarlett barely heard Rhett's story about the historic bells that chimed. Apparently, there was some story about the bells being stolen or damaged in some war, but Scarlett was not paying attention.

Alighting from the carriage, Scarlett watched officers on horses patrol in front of the church. Despite the small number of invited guests, given how many important people were alleged to be in attendance including many important politicians and ex-soldiers, Eleanor had not wanted to take any chances. Scarlett did not want to wager any guesses on how much Rhett was spending to ensure his sister had a wedding that was suitable for Charleston society. Across the street, Scarlett could see curious Charleston residents mingling outside while guests arrived.

Rhett deposited his mother beside Scarlett, Wade, and Ella in the front row of the church while he attended to his sister. Robert and Elizabeth, sitting further down the pew with their children, shot her angry looks which Scarlett did her best to ignore. The church was packed with guests. Rosemary's wedding would be nothing like the quiet civil ceremony that she and Rhett had hastily arranged nor any of her other weddings to Charles or Frank.

It was difficult for Charleston society to look away when Rosemary's infamous brother, who for years had not been received in Charleston, gave the bride away. Scarlett could still hear the hushed whispers, as Rhett took his place beside her. Over tea and cakes, in parlors around the city, the great ladies of Charleston would recount stories about the scandalized choice and voice their concerns over Eleanor's allowance of it. It was one thing to accept a house from Rhett Butler, as no one quite believed Eleanor's tale of insurance money, but another to admit that Rhett Butler could be a reformed man.

Rosemary would cause further gossip by deciding to go against Charleston's strict traditions. Typically, there was no entertainment at a wedding but Rosemary insisted on a ball to follow the ceremony. She insisted on an afternoon marriage, and no one could convince her otherwise, not even her frantic mother. Rosemary had waited until the age of twenty-something to marry and having feared she would remain a spinster, she was going to have the wedding no one would soon forget.

Her husband-to-be, though from a prominent society family, was no stranger to going against ingrained traditions. Like most southern boys from wealthy families, James had gone to university but unlike most of his generation, he had actually finished his studies after his service during the war. James had become a lawyer and practiced for a few years, despite his mother's consternation and embarrassment. As the eldest brother, James' father wanted to groom him for a career in politics, but James had no interest. With Rosemary beside him, he was stubborn enough to want to succeed on his own.

James had also been adamant that he would not fight his future wife over any of her choices for the wedding. Scarlett recalled overhearing his statement, just after her arrival in Charleston.

"Scarlett, pay no mind to this young man," Rhett had jokingly warned.

"Don’t worry, Rhett, " she had whispered so only her husband could hear her. "I would only pay attention if I had a devoted husband."

"Honor and obey, Scarlett."

"We seem to have both failed at that, Rhett."

Scarlett thought back to this exchange as she stood at the front of the reception hall after a particularly beautiful ceremony and surveyed the room, which was full of women in various styles of dress but most, Scarlett dismissed, were several seasons old. The women in Charleston were firm in their determination to illustrate how they felt about Reconstruction. She had never seen so many flowers. It was hard to believe that the city was still in the throes of reconstruction, given all the floral arrangements that filled the space. Scarlett hoped that people wouldn't be offended by the gratuitous display of wealth but Rhett had granted Rosemary her every wish and Rosemary had not been willing to demonstrate any self-restraint.

Even though she was still in mourning over Bonnie and Melly, and that she was now firmly of the age where she was not a belle or a bride or the center of attention, Scarlett was excited. For the first time in such a long time, she was going to be out, and though she would not be able to dance, not even with her husband, her mother-in-law assured her that for such a special occasion, it would be appropriate for her to be out in public. Since her arrival, she had been approached by several women already who claimed to have known her mother and Scarlett knew that she had represented her late mother accordingly. The party was in full swing and flutes of champagne were being passed around, as Scarlett watched people dance.

"I can recall the last time you were in a black mourning dress and watching people dance -"

Scarlett heard Rhett's voice behind her and she smiled brightly.

"You certainly compromised my reputation that night, Captain Butler," she teased, turning to look up at him, as he bent to kiss her cheek. "One can do without a reputation, correct?"

"What a liar I was when I said one could do without a reputation. Scarlett, I don’t think you were being entirely honest with me before because you do remember everything I say," Rhett commented.

"When I need to," Scarlett responded coyly.

"I meant it when I said it that night. It was only later that I realized how very wrong I was."

Scarlett thought back to the rainy afternoon when Bonnie was still a baby, and Rhett made the decision to begin his campaign to win over Atlanta's Old Guard. If her memory was correct, Wade had not been invited to the birthday party of one of his friends. Wade had been the only little boy not invited because of Scarlett's reputation as a scalawag and his stepfather's scandalous past. At times, over the next few years, she had believed Rhett to be wasting his time but in that too she had been incorrect.

"You also proved, Rhett, that a reputation could be regained once it is lost," Scarlett acknowledged, watching his features momentarily cloud over.

"I suppose," Rhett said, his eyes sweeping across the room, before fixing his gaze on her. Scarlett noticed a familiar mischievous twinkle in his eyes appear before he continued. "And like that rather entertaining evening, I know exactly what you are thinking right now."

"And what would that be?"

He leaned close to her ear and lowered his voice so only she could hear him. "You want to dance with your cad of a husband."

"I do not!" Scarlett exclaimed, worried that someone would overhear. "What would people say?"

Scarlett did not want to mention either Bonnie or Melly's names. It was bad enough she was present at this wedding when barely six months had passed since Bonnie's tragic accident.

"Do you really care?" Rhett asked.

Scarlett tried to ignore that old electric sensation that had crept up on her as they stood talking. Rhett was still as magnetic as he had been that night ages ago when his daring had allowed her to throw off the shackles of mourning. The night of the bazaar she had failed to recognize it for what it was but tonight she couldn't.

"Rhett, I really shouldn't," she teased, twisting an untouched flute of champagne between her fingers. Taking a tentative sip, then handing him back the glass, she nodded.

"You must," he begged, and Scarlett smiled weakly at her ignorance as a young belle. "It will be similar to shocking the Confederacy, although I'm not sure it could match the wartime actions of the great people of Charleston."

Scarlett felt the protective pressure of Rhett's hand on the small of her back as he swept her into the first waltz she had danced in years. She had forgotten how possessive Rhett's touch could be and thought herself stupid for clearly understanding now what she had failed to for almost the entire duration of her courtship and marriage to the man. From the moment they had met, through to the tragic death of Frank, Rhett had been courting her. She had simply been too ignorant to understand his actions for what they were. And just like at that long-forgotten bazaar, they were easily the most beautiful couple there. The bride and groom did not count in her assessment.

When they were finally tired of dancing, Rhett led her to a nearby empty table.

"Will you be alright on your own for a few minutes?" Rhett asked, "I will find us both something to refresh ourselves."

"Of course, Rhett. I will wait for you here. It's been so long since I've danced that I'm quite worn out."

Scarlett watched as Rhett walked across the room and disappear into a crowd of guests. For a few minutes, she was content watching as people danced, especially Rosemary and James, who truly looked happy. Tapping her foot under the table, Scarlett was so lost in the music that she did not notice Robert join her in the empty chair beside her.

Glancing at him briefly, Scarlett returned her attention to the dancing.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Scarlett."

"I am. Thank you," Scarlett responded curtly, hoping that Robert would quickly realize that she did not wish to talk to him.

"My mother certainly knows how to plan a party."

"It’s wonderful. Rosemary seems very happy." Scarlett did not turn her head to respond.

"Do you miss Atlanta yet, Scarlett?"

Clearly, Robert was not as attuned with female preferences as Rhett was because he had not gotten her obvious hint.

"We have enjoyed our time in Charleston but I will be happy to return home in the new year," Scarlett finally said.

"As it so happened, my father-in-law and I spent a few rather enjoyable days there recently. We are looking at expanding some of our business interests in the area but alas, it's very different from Charleston, " Robert paused briefly before continuing, "I must say that it is less refined and sophisticated. There were a number of, how shall I say it, less traditional business opportunities there."

Not understanding fully what Robert was saying, Scarlett simply responded, "I'm sorry you feel that way."

"I did make some friends while I was there," Robert continued, still ignoring Scarlett's discomfort.

"That’s nice."

"One of them happens to be an old friend and business associate of my dear brother. I believe you know her."

Scarlett turned to look at him.

"Now what was her name?" Robert drawled, obviously pretending to search his memory for a name, that Scarlett was already quite certain she knew.

Scarlett waited, hoping Rhett would return and save her from his brother.

"Waters? Watkins? Watling. That’s it. Belle Watling! Do you know her?" Robert exclaimed, his lips stretching into a cruel grin. When Scarlett did not answer, Robert continued, "I was told my brother knows her quite well. We discussed some business and then Belle told me a fascinating story. Do you want to hear it, Scarlett?"

"I'm sure I don't," Scarlett said, her eyes searching the room for Rhett.

"What a lovely woman! It seems that my brother has spent quite a bit of time with her."

"Get away from me," Scarlett hissed, scanning the room for any sign of Rhett.

"Yes, I spent several enjoyable hours with her. And it doesn’t bother me in the least that my brother has spent quite a lot of time with her as well," Robert paused. "I haven't had a chance to discuss the terms with Rhett yet, but I do believe I may go into business with my brother and Belle, now that they've set up a branch of their business both here in Charleston and Savannah."

"You are vile, "Scarlett snapped, uncertain of how to respond to the unsavory news. Charleston and Savannah? How was it possible?

"If the rumors about you and a certain Mr. Wilkes are true, I'm sure my brother would have no objections to us getting to know each other -"

Without thinking, Scarlett raised her hand and slapped Robert hard across the face. Quite a number of couples around them turned their heads to seek out the noise. Robert held his cheek and looked at her with a murderous expression on his face.

"Stay away from me," Scarlett said as calmly as she could.

She got up from her seat and by the time she had reached the door, Rhett was at her side.

"What the hell happened, Scarlett?" Rhett barked.

"Nothing, I feel rather poorly. Too much dancing perhaps," she feebly explained. The desire to get away from Rhett was overwhelming.

"Scarlett, you are a poor liar. Why did you slap my brother?" Rhett asked. "Though I am certain he deserved it."

Walking past him she murdered, "No reason."

"No reason?" Rhett clutched her elbow to stop her from leaving. "Scarlett, the last I checked you were not in the habit of hitting men unless they deserved it. I will ask you once more. What did he say?"

"Let go of me, Rhett."

"I'll let go of you, Scarlett when you stop making such a scene."

"I don’t care if I make a scene, Rhett!"

"Well, I do since we are at my sister's wedding and most of Charleston is watching us."

"Why don’t you ask your whore, Rhett?"

And with that, Scarlett wrenched her arm out of his grasp and headed out of the hall and out onto the almost deserted streets of Charleston. Seeing Eleanor's carriage, she ordered the driver to take her back to the carriage house. When she got back to the house on the Battery, Scarlett was still shaking in anger. She climbed the front steps and went up the stairs towards her room. There was no way she would spend another night under the same roof with that despicable man. Hopefully, she could grab a few things and be on her way to a hotel, with the children, before Rhett could find her. She would send for her trunks in the morning and hopefully, be on the next train to Atlanta.

It would be a lie to say she had thought a lot about Belle during her marriage to Rhett. Belle Watling was a thought that was often pushed aside. As angry as she was, part of Scarlett was aware that Rhett had only gone to Belle after she kicked him out of their bed but perhaps that was a lie and he had been with her the entire time they were married. Either way, for Rhett's association with that vile creature to be thrown in her face and then be propositioned by Robert like a common whore, had been humiliating.

Lost in her own anguished thoughts Scarlett did not hear the heavy tread of feet on the staircase or the door to her room quietly open.

"Do you want to talk, Scarlett?"

Scarlett cringed as Rhett spoke and continued to gather her belongings.

"Did you not hear me, Scarlett?"

Swinging around to face him, she saw his huge body filling the doorway. Rhett appeared as immovable as a mountain.

"I heard you, but I'm choosing to ignore you. Stay away from me, Rhett. I'm leaving and you can't stop me."

"Talk to me first, Scarlett, and then I'll leave you alone."

She tried to walk past him but he wouldn't move from in front of the doorway. She huffed, as she hadn't in years, before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"What did Robert say to you?"

"I hate your brother, Rhett!"

"I’ve hated him for years," Rhett said, not moving from the doorway. Scarlett felt like a trapped animal. "What did he say to you?"

"Not much when I really think about it," Scarlett paused. "Although, he took great pleasure in telling me that he went to Atlanta to - to - spend time with Belle. Oh and that he was sure you would have no problem sharing me with him. The best part is that I finally understand how you've been spending your days here."

"My days -"

"Belle must be keeping you very busy if you are opening whorehouses here and in Savannah. I'm glad you've offered to go into business with your brother."

"I'm going to fucking kill him!" Rhett exploded, finally leaving his place by the door.

"Rhett!" Scarlett exclaimed, having never heard and witnessed such behavior from her husband.

"I will kill him," Rhett insisted. He looked at her frantically, "Scarlett, I have no idea -"

"Rhett, he knows that we are having problems. He mentioned Ashley. What have you been telling that - that woman about me? They’re all talking about us in Atlanta and after tonight, we'll be the topic of discussion in every parlor tomorrow."

"That shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. If I may address my brother's claims regarding my business interests, you've known for quite some time the details of my connection with Belle. I may own part of the business in Atlanta in the capacity of a silent partner, but Scarlett, I had no idea that Belle was opening up other - locations."

"I don't believe you."

"I don't give a damn about what you believe but I'm telling you the truth. Why would I lie to you, Scarlett?" Rhett inquired.

“Because that’s what you’ve done since the day I met you,” she explained. "What else did Belle tell Robert? What have you been telling her, Rhett, all these years? Have you been spending every day we've been in Charleston telling Belle Watling all about our marriage?”

“Scarlett -”

Ignoring the warning tone of his voice, she continued, “Have you?”

“Scarlett, I went there after you threw me out of your bedroom to play cards and drink, and sometimes I sought out female company. Occasionally, it was her, but I did not confide in her all the details of our marriage or your infatuation with Wilkes,” Rhett countered.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Scarlett, I paid her or her girls for sex, not someone to talk to about my marriage.”

“Then how did he know all those details -”

“Scarlett,” Rhett drawled as if explaining a difficult concept to a child, “Belle owns a whorehouse. Half the men in your social circle in Atlanta visit her establishment. The gossip in that place -” His words trailed off. “I was not spending my nights discussing my marriage with anyone and especially not an illiterate whore.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I'm telling you the truth, Scarlett and it is your choice to believe it or not.”

“It doesn’t matter, Rhett,” Scarlett admitted quietly. “I'm tired of everyone knowing you spend your night with whores, Rhett. I'm tired of it all.”

“It was your choice, my pet.”

“Is that what you tell yourself?”

“It’s the truth, Scarlett.”

“Well, think of something you can tell your mother and sister as to what just happened and why I'm taking Wade and Ella and leaving first thing tomorrow morning. I’ve never been spoken to in the way your brother just talked to me.” Scarlett said, rising from the bed and gathering a few garments in her arms.

“Scarlett, Robert should never have said -”

“It's not all about him, Rhett. Do you realize that your relationship with that woman is humiliating.”

“What was I supposed to do, Scarlett? Live a celibate life watching you chase your precious Ashley around Atlanta right under my nose?” Rhett shot back.

“How about not sleeping with whores? And the worst thing is that you did nothing to hide it, from me or anyone else in Atlanta.” Dropping the garments on the bed, she turned to look at him. “I want you to sell that place.”

“Are you telling me what to do, Scarlett?”

“I am, Rhett.” She took several steps toward him. “What I can't believe is that you were so concerned about Bonnie’s reputation and yet you made money off of such a place. You are such a hypocrite!”

“No one knew for certain -”

“Well it appears that’s not true. With your brother knowing, this won’t be kept quiet. How is this going to affect Wade and Ella? Did you ever think of them or did you only ever consider Bonnie’s precious reputation? It’s a good thing that doesn’t matter anymore.”

Scarlett ignored the murderous look in his eyes.

“Answer one question for me before I leave Rhett. Were you sleeping with that woman the entire time we were married?”

“What do you care?” Rhett asked defensively.

“Answer me,” she ordered. She watched Rhett move away from her and light a cigar. He took a long puff and sank into a chair.

“No, Scarlett, I wasn’t,” he finally admitted.

“When?”

“Scarlett, from the time when I returned to Atlanta after Ella was born until you threw me out of your bed I was faithful to you. You can choose to believe me or not.”

“Ella?”

Scarlett sank onto the bed once again unable to stand with the realization that she had forced him into that vile woman’s arms. No, she shook her head, as he watched her. His choices were not her fault. She had certainly not driven him into Belle’s arms after Bonnie’s death.

Suddenly, she turned her head towards him as a possibility dawned on her. “Did Belle want you to leave me? Was it her idea?”

“No Scarlett, it was my idea,” Rhett revealed, taking another long drag. “When you took the children to Marietta, I was all alone in that house, and the memories of Bonnie were too much. It had nothing to do with Belle. Do you think I would let a whore convince me to do anything?”

“I'm not sure about anything when it comes to you, Rhett.” They sat watching each other for a few moments before Scarlett asked, ”Did you stay with that woman the night Melly died?”

“I already told you, Scarlett, that I didn’t.”

“Tell me again,” Scarlett insisted, not understanding why she even cared at this point.

“No, Scarlett, I didn't.”

“Where did you stay?”

“At a hotel.”

“I don’t believe you, Rhett.”

“Does it matter if you believe me at his point?” He chuckled, before rising from his chair. “You can ask Henry Hamiton if you want to confirm my whereabouts because I slept on the sofa in his room upon his instance.”

“Uncle Henry?”

“Yes.”

“How did he -”

“Because Henry convinced me that it was probably time I thought about not running away from you anymore.”

Scarlett caught a whiff of his scent as he walked past her.

“Leaving again, Rhett,” she asked, as he reached for the doorknob. “You’ll need to find someplace else to sleep tonight because you are certainly not welcome in my bed. Perhaps, you can go to Belle’s.”

Rhett turned to look at her but said nothing as he slammed the door behind her, leaving Scarlett alone in the room. Hearing the echo of his footsteps on the stairs, she finally let the tears, that she had been holding in all night, fall.

**End of Part Two**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know about everyone else, but I think Rhett spent too much time around whores, which does explain to some extent Rhett’s thoughts about how to woo Scarlett. He equates money and material possessions with winning her over. Rhett is using these things to overcome the poverty that she encountered at Tara and feared. He never dealt with her emotional needs. I’m sure he was able to throw money at whores, and he could win them over. Scarlett, not so much. My thoughts about this conversation stem from that last speech, where we learn what Rhett thinks about Belle and other prostitutes. For him, they are nothing more than an ego boost and a source of pleasure. I wonder how much he actually shared with Belle and what influence she may have had over Rhett. Probably very little.
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked, or left a Kudo for this story.


	12. Crossroads

**Part Three:**

“Rhett, darling, were you and Scarlett planning to leave today without informing me?” Eleanor inquired, entering the dining room where breakfast was spread on the table.

Rhett watched his mother take a seat opposite him and spread a napkin across her lap. Gazing at her face, while she waited for him to respond, Rhett noticed the lines around her eyes, which seemed more pronounced this morning. His mother was either tired from the late night or worried about what the day would bring or angry at the disturbance of the previous night.

“No, Mother.”

Eleanor lowered her untouched coffee cup to the table, narrowed her eyes, as her thinning mouth moved into an actual frown. After a moment of this grimace, she repeated, ”No? Then perhaps Manigo was mistaken when he mentioned that you had requested some trunks to be sent to the train station? I’ll ask again, are you going somewhere, Rhett?”

His mother was clearly angry.

Sighing deeply, Rhett offered, “I took Scarlett and the children to the train station earlier this morning.”

“Why?”

“For a number of reasons, Mother.”

“Such as?”

“Mother, I do not want to discuss this with you.” Rhett moved to stand.

“Sit down, Rhett.”

Her words were harsh and Rhett instantly recognized the authoritarian tone from his youth. The only difference was that it had usually originated from his father, not the woman sitting before him. Settling himself back in his chair, Rhett watched as his mother took a sip of coffee before continuing.

“That’s unfortunate for you since we are going to discuss this, Rhett. Whatever happened last night, it was humiliating for your sister, apparently, your wife, and I’m certainly not happy about the commotion you caused,” Eleanor admonished.

“Robert said something to Scarlett, which I will not repeat, but that’s not the real reason she left,” he admitted.

“I will deal with Robert later," Eleanor placed her cup back down without a clatter, "but I want to know how you plan to fix this. You and Scarlett walked out of Rosemary’s reception, and everyone will be talking about it.”

“I don’t care that people will be discussing last night’s incident, Mother.”

“You might not, but I do, Rhett. I have to live here with these people. I have to sit across from them having tea. I pass them in the street when I go to the market.”

Rhett looked across the table at his mother’s angry face and recalled Scarlett’s last glimpse at the train station. Scarlett had not offered him her cheek to be kissed, and she had purposefully not taken his hand to step onto the train. After the children were comfortably seated in the first-class private car and their belongings were settled on the train, Scarlett had glared at him as he stood on the platform. Of all the flashes of anger that she had directed at him over the years, this look betrayed pure hatred.

“Are you planning to return to Atlanta?” his mother asked finally, her facial features softening.

“No. I don’t think I will be joining Scarlett any time soon.” Searching his mother’s face, he continued indifferently, ”It does mean, however, that I will be staying in Charleston.”

His mother’s hands twitched, as she leaned forward, her eyes bearing into Rhett’s. “You may have paid for this house, Rhett, but after last night you are not welcome here any longer.”

Rhett’s eyes widened for a second before narrowing in anger.

“You are a fool, Rhett, when it comes to your wife and I’m tired of justifying your behaviors to my friends.”

“My wife?” Rhett sneered. "Mother, I didn’t think you even liked Scarlett."

“Rhett, I hardly know the girl. You made sure of that."

"I hardly kept her - "

"Please try not to interrupt me, Rhett. The first time I met your wife, she was seventeen years old. She was a new mother and a young widow. When she visited my home, she came across as an uneducated and selfish girl. The second occasion was only a few months ago when your daughter died." His mother folded her hands primly in front of her on the table and watched him carefully. Rhett grew uncomfortable under his mother's critical gaze. "I have not based my entire opinion of her on those two meetings. Over the last few weeks, I’ve gotten to know her a little better. The woman I've grown to know is quiet and reserved and watchful. It's as if she doesn’t want to do or say something wrong or embarrassing. She is continually watching you as if she is trying to figure out a particularly difficult mathematical equation."

Eleanor had sworn, as a new mother years before, to never interfere in the lives of her adult children, but that promise had long been abandoned. The man sitting before her was stubborn and headstrong; the woman fleeing on a train was equally so. Even as a boy, Rhett had hesitated to ask for help. He had preferred failure to assistance. In Atlanta, she had watched a tragedy unfold before her very eyes and had done nothing. She had sensed that there was more going on than she could observe, but she had attributed it to grief. Eleanor had always been able to read Rhett's dark moods, and she left Atlanta, knowing her son was spiraling into despair. Now she knew the horrific truth.

Eleanor had not approved of her husband’s banishment of her son, but what was a good wife and mother to do? She went along with her husband, and it still pained her to see what it had done to Rhett.

The rumors that had reached her ears in Charleston over the years and subsequent confirmation of them by both her son and daughter-in-law - of separate bedrooms, infidelities, and cruelty - had left her feeling impotent. Rhett's time in Charleston had alarmed her.

"Rhett, I am your mother, and despite my decisions, I love you and only want what's best for you. That young woman is everything you need, and I've watched you be indifferent and cold to her. She told me about what happened in Atlanta, and I can't stand to watch you become your father. Your wife tells you she loves you, and you hold it over her head like a whip. You are your father's son in so many ways. I stayed with your father because he was my husband and it was expected of me. Scarlett is unlike any woman I've ever met, and I suspect that she will not live with a man who treats her the way you've treated her. You are so cold, Rhett, and that woman is passionate. You are about to lose the best part of you, and you will end up alone if you don't leave on the next train."

"This is not my fault? Robert shouldn't -"

"Rhett, stop playing the victim," Eleanor snapped. "This has nothing to do with your brother and everything to do with how you have treated each other. I fully expected not to like Scarlett when she first arrived based on everything I've heard. I hardly knew the girl, and what I do know, I've been told by her aunts, who are certainly not the best judges of character."

"You said yourself that you don't know her -"

"That spoiled girl and the woman who left today are two different people, Rhett. You are responsible for that," Eleanor paused, carefully appraising her son, "especially since her accident."

"Mother -"

"I have to ask myself how it is possible that I raised a man who would taunt his wife with the possibility of a miscarriage and accuse her of infidelity while she carried his child? I don't even want to think about what happened next. How do you think it felt, Rhett, when within days of Scarlett's fall, I heard from Eulalie that her niece, my daughter-in-law, had suffered some kind of accident. You didn’t think to send a telegram. I would have been there in an instant -"

"I didn’t want you there, Mother," Rhett exclaimed, horrified that his mother would bring up details he'd rather forget but never would.

"Why not?"

"Because I didn't."

"That is not an answer, Rhett," Eleanor challenged.

"I didn't want you there, Mother, because Scarlett's fall was all my fault and I didn't want you to see -"

"How your marriage had become a farce," Eleanor finished.

Rhett nodded his head shamefully.

"If I had been there, I would have told you that your place was beside Scarlett's sickbed, holding her hand and that the first words she should have heard when she woke up were from you. You should have apologized, told her you loved her and begged her to give you another chance." Eleanor reached across the table to take his hand in hers. "There may still be time to rectify this if you leave now. If you don't, you will lose everything. You belong in Atlanta with your wife and children, Rhett."

Rhett and his mother stared at each other, and just as Rhett was about to speak, Manigo appeared at the door and cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Miz Eleanor," Manigo turned to address Rhett, "Mister Rhett, there is a priest and a young woman at the door to see you."

Rhett exchanged a curious look with his mother before he instructed Manigo to show them in. In no time at all, Rhett was on his feet, greeting Carreen and a man who resembled a much younger Gerald O'Hara. Following the introduction of his mother to their two guests, Rhett indicated for them to have a seat.

Neither Rhett or Eleanor had mentioned anything, but they both noticed, for how could they not, that Carreen was no longer in the attire of a nun.

"To what do we owe this visit, Sister Mary Joseph?" Eleanor asked, smiling gently at the girl.

"Mrs. Butler, I no longer use my religious name," Carreen said quietly, and Rhett could hear the hesitation in her voice. "Please call me, Carreen."

Rhett stood to pour both Carreen and her cousin Father Sean a coffee. As he passed the steaming cup to his sister-in-law, she raised her face to him. "Is my sister at home?"

Rhett cleared his throat and confided, "No, I'm afraid that Scarlett left with the children earlier this morning to return to Atlanta."

Rhett noticed the pained expression on her face.

"Oh, dear!" Carreen looked frantically from Rhett's face to her cousin and then began to rise out of her seat. "We should leave, Father Sean."

Eleanor reached across the table to stop her. "There's no need to go anywhere just yet, dear. What seems to be the problem, Carreen?"

"Perhaps, we should go see my aunts," Careen whispered, looking at Father Sean, who looked uncertain.

Rhett threw back his head and laughed. Three faces turned to stare at him.

"Rhett, please mind your manners. Carreen and Father Sean are our guests," Eleanor reprimanded.

"I'm sorry, Mother, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for Gerald O'Hara momentarily." Smiling at Carreen, he joked, "How did he ever manage with three girls under the same roof I'll never know? I have yet to meet an O'Hara girl that isn't stubborn." Shaking his head once more, he gestured for Carreen to sit. "Please, Carreen, I would like to help you if I can."

Carreen looked from Rhett to Father Sean and back again, before confirming, "I've decided not to become a nun."

"What happened, Carreen? Both your aunts and Scarlett made it sound like you were quite happy and certain of your choice," Eleanor inquired and Rhett noticed her successful concealment of surprise.

Carreen mumbled barely audible words. Sensing the young woman's discomfort, Father Sean finally spoke up.

"My cousin was very happy," Father Sean paused, "until recently, that is, in her chosen vocation."

"What happened, my dear girl?" Eleanor crooned, reaching over to take both of Carreen's hands in hers.

Father Sean nodded to Carreen to recount what happened.

"During the spring, our Mother Superior died," Carreen began, "and the sister that took her place seemed lovely at first. Sometime this fall, I began to notice that my new Mother Superior did not seem to like me. That did not bother me until she began to say nasty and hurtful things to me when she knew no one was listening. I found myself with an overabundance of demeaning, horrible chores, and Mother Superior seemed to gloat over me. Last week, I was told I would not be allowed to work in the school with the children any longer. I prayed for strength to overcome my difficulties, but earlier this week, Mother Superior told me I would be sent out west to one of our missions. It dawned on me that she wanted to get rid of me." Carreen caught her breath as she had hurried to tell her story. "I realized that I could not remain there."

"Surely, there is someone you can speak to, Carreen," Eleanor offered.

"There isn't Mrs. Butler," Carreen vigorously shook her head. "I thought it would be difficult to leave, but I was surprised at how easy it was. Part of me wonders if I wasn't wrong in my decision," Carreen finally admitted.

"Have you considered what you will do next, my dear?" Eleanor asked.

"I came here in the hopes of speaking with my sister -"

"I will accompany you to Atlanta, Carreen," Rhett offered, speaking for the first time. He glanced at his mother briefly before continuing. "And please don't offer any protest. I was heading there apparently."

"Thank you, Rhett." Carreen appeared genuinely grateful. This was another first in his long association with O'Hara women.

While Manigo took care of the packing of his trunks, Eleanor sent Rhett out with Carreen to pick up a few things to see her through her journey home. The girl had left the convent with the same items she had entered with years before, and Eleanor had insisted that the young woman should be comfortable.

While Carreen conversed with a shopkeeper, Rhett's thoughts immediately turned to Scarlett. He saw now that he should never have brought Scarlett to Charleston. Robert was a horrible human being. That's not to say that he wouldn't deal with him at another time, but Scarlett should have been left out of their sibling rivalry. Rhett was tired of fighting against his self-imposed restraint. If Robert or his wife's words or actions cost him his marriage to Scarlett, he would kill him.

Belle's actions would need to be investigated, as well. Rhett still wasn't sure what role, if any, she had played in this mess. He would have to wait until he returned to Atlanta and had the opportunity to speak to her. How he would do it without angering Scarlett was the problem.

Scarlett's reaction to his arrival in Atlanta after their last conversation was the great unknown. In their twelve-year relationship, Rhett had never seen her in such a state. All he had to do was convince her of his sincerity. He would start with the truth and show her that he was the man she was supposed to be. His mother was correct: he was too damn old to play games. He was not going to become angry and bitter and mean like his father. And if it meant giving up his businesses and travel, then so be it because he had to show Scarlett that she was more important than anything else.

Several hours later, once he had made his apologies to Rosemary and James for leaving weeks ahead of schedule and for Scarlett's sudden departure, Rhett found himself on the last train bound for Atlanta with Carreen O'Hara, formerly Sister Mary Joseph, sitting across from him.

* * *

Rhett had half expected to have to entertain Carreen with mundane conversation as they traveled to Atlanta. Instead, he found himself sharing a compartment with a quiet, young woman who preferred reading and staring out the window, rather than engaging in lengthy discussions. As a seasoned traveler, Rhett often found himself sharing train cars with all sorts of people; the worst were the ones who talked incessantly. Unless the conversation was intellectually stimulating or interesting, which was rarely the case, Rhett struggled not to show his annoyance with fellow travelers. Being able to afford private railcars in the last fifteen years had rectified the problem.

Carreen, like himself, it appeared, preferred silence, which offered Rhett an abundance of time to consider not only what had transpired in Charleston culminating in his mother's harsh words, but with nothing else to do, his mind kept wandering to where he and Scarlett had gone wrong.

His mother's accusations had been deadly accurate. By the time Melly had died, Rhett had become an expert at making and believing his pitiful excuses. The irony was not lost on him that he had tried to get away with the very thing he had always told Scarlett he would not condone: lies.

In listening to Henry Hamilton, Rhett realized that while he had physically remained in the marriage, time was all he had invested in his relationship with Scarlett. He had been unable to fully let his guard down with his wife. The night of Ella's birthday, Rhett had momentarily let Scarlett see his pain, but in the light of day, that vulnerability had scared him.

In the days and weeks that followed, he had done little to repair his relationship with Scarlett, and in the blink of an eye, that opportunity had vanished. At forty-five, almost forty-six, years of age, he was terrified of rejection and getting hurt by the woman he had loved secretly for years. Hurt and resentment on the night of Melly's death had gotten in the way of hearing Scarlett's declaration of love; experience told him to doubt her feelings.

It had taken him a long time to realize his own flaws, but now Rhett had no choice but to accept his blame.

During the war, he had told Scarlett time and again that he was not a marrying man, but the truth was that at some point during the war, that had become a lie. Instead, he had told her that he was not a marrying man to protect himself from her rejection. Rhett still could not understand the motivation behind abandoning her in the middle of two armies. Fear of what happened after he left to join the fighting kept him from going to Tara once the war had ended. He was like one of his father's dogs that had relieved itself inside the house, knowing that he would be punished.

From the moment he had forced Scarlett to accept his ill-timed proposal, because how else could he get her into his bed, Rhett had tried to buy the love he'd wanted from Scarlett. In the past, his ill-gotten gains had bought him anything and anyone he wanted. Rhett had showered Scarlett with money, flashy dresses, meaningless baubles and a monstrosity of a house, in the hopes that she would come to love him. Marrying Scarlett in the hopes that she would suddenly grow to love him had been a life-altering miscalculation. During the war, he had been able to disappear from Atlanta when his true feelings threatened to emerge, but being married to Scarlett, living with her and sleeping beside her every night, had made him feel his vulnerability more acutely. There had been no alternative but to hide his true feelings.

Rhett had to concede that he had been a horrible husband from the first. Scarlett may have been uninterested in their union, but he had used cruel sarcasm to mock her intelligence because he wanted to punish Scarlett for chasing Ashley. Criticizing Scarlett's mothering skills was a punishment intended for his mother, not his wife. Who was he to criticize his wife when he was the one who returned after attempting to drink himself into oblivion and stealing his daughter away?

He was the one who introduced Scarlett to the worst kind of people both during their honeymoon in New Orleans and later in Atlanta. Scarlett's trust in him meant that she never saw them for who they were: Scalawags and former madams. There had been little concern for his own reputation until Bonnie had arrived. On numerous occasions, he had encouraged Scarlett to ignore society's rules turning her into cannon fodder for the righteous people of Atlanta.

Instead of respecting Scarlett's genuine dislike of pregnancy and childbirth, and as much as he loved Bonnie, Rhett was compelled to admit to himself, as the harsh winter sun streamed through the train's windows, that forcing Scarlett to have a child with him had been a selfish and disastrous act. Rhett clearly remembered his smug reaction when Ashley had learned of Scarlett's pregnancy. Ashley, he remembered thinking, could have Scarlett's heart, but he would never have a child with her.

Wounded pride had stood in the way of him walking through the unlocked and open door. Rhett had wanted Scarlett to beg him to return to their room for some perverse reason. There was little satisfaction when Scarlett had admitted as much weeks before.

Laying the blame on Scarlett for the deterioration of their marriage was the final, desperate act of a coward. Rhett knew he had been a bad husband, but Scarlett had made mistakes as well. Time and again, Rhett had thrown his illicit relationship with Belle in Scarlett's face, even going so far as to compare his wife to the whore. There had been no consideration given to how his wife had felt. Scarlett had made it very clear before leaving Charleston, what his relationship with Belle had done to her. How was his relationship with Belle any less damaging than Scarlett's feelings towards Ashley?

Perhaps, the worst of his sins was losing himself in the care and attention of his daughter. It left little room in his world for Scarlett and now, he was afraid that door had closed forever.

Rhett chuckled softly and looked across the tiny compartment at Carreen, who had not noticed him.

He had told Scarlett time and again that he understood her better than anyone, but that simply wasn't true. Had he known that an admission of love, like on the night she returned home from the Wilkes', would have opened Scarlett's eyes and heart to the fact that she loved him, he would have admitted it in the library at Twelve Oaks.

Rhett looked up and found Carreen watching him.

On the night that Melly's death, Rhett had emphatically told Scarlett he had done everything to make the marriage work, but that had been a lie. Once again, he had waited to gauge her reaction and make the first move.

It was now up to him to make the next move if he was to win her heart and her trust. For the first time in his life, as the train chugged towards Atlanta and home, Rhett was uncertain of how to proceed and whether success was even in his future.

The time for introspection was over - if there was any hope of reconciling with Scarlett, she would need to know the truth - that his love had not worn out. His love had lain dormant after Bonnie's death, but Rhett knew it was alive every day, but only when Scarlett was around.

Rhett decided he might start with that.

* * *

Following her arrival back in Atlanta and after the usual chaos of making her way back to the Peachtree Street house with two over-tired children, Scarlett collapsed upon her bed exhausted. The children after some cajoling were settled in their rooms, and Scarlett was amazed at their infinite energy. She had hardly slept the night before, and with the lead up to Rosemary’s wedding, there had been little opportunity to sleep in.

Unless she absolutely had to, Scarlett was not leaving her bed for the next few days. Pork could attend to Wade and Ella to ensure they were fed and stayed out of trouble. It was a good thing she had sent a telegram to Henry Hamilton before her departure from Charleston, or she would have returned to a dark, cold, and stuffy house. Henry had made sure that Pork was there to take her and the children home from the station, as well as everything else that was necessary after such a lengthy absence.

In Charleston, as per her usual, Scarlett had been a late riser. Despite busy days preparing for Rosemary's wedding, Scarlett had found it difficult to fall asleep at night, but that was nothing in comparison to the struggle to stay asleep. It seemed that on most nights, like clockwork, she would awaken from a deep slumber and find herself wide awake and incapable of returning to sleep for some time. Only with Rhett's return to her bed and the presence of him beside her, had things changed. She had had no trouble sleeping for the last few weeks. Scarlett shook the thought away, as quickly as it entered her head. There was no point in thinking about it any longer.

She did not need Rhett Butler.

When Scarlett awoke several hours later, it was late afternoon with the sun low in the sky and the light rapidly fading. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Scarlett wondered where Wade and Ella were.  
The house was remarkably quiet. Wade likely had his nose buried deeply in a book. He was becoming more like his Hamilton relations with every day that passed. Ella, on the other hand, was most likely quietly playing with her dolls. Scarlett wasn’t quite sure who Ella took after, but the child had, in the last few weeks, grown out of the many behaviors that had, at one point, driven her to annoyance.

Scarlett had to admit that the time in Charleston, surrounded by Rhett, Eleanor, and Rosemary, had been good for both her children. They had been doted on by Eleanor and Rosemary, but the attention lavished on them by Rhett had surprised her. Ella had calmed down quite a bit, and Wade, once he had regained his voice, had flourished under Rhett's tutelage.

With Rhett around in Charleston, and seemingly on his best behavior, Scarlett had spent more time with Wade or Ella, than she had since their births. She hadn’t realized until recently just how much she actually enjoyed the company of her children. In truth, they were all she had now, and she was all they had.

Slipping into her wrapper, Scarlett thought of the ledgers from the store that she had noticed earlier, which were sitting on her desk, waiting for her to study and correct. Pork or Henry must have let her store clerk Willie know that she was returning home and would want to see the books after such a long absence. The books were probably in a state of disaster after an almost three-month absence. Scarlett had only once been away from the stores, after her accident, but Rhett had seen that her books were in order.

Perhaps after she had spent some time with the children, she would close herself in her office and do some work. It was Sunday, but Scarlett did not feel at all inclined to rush to the store. Months ago, she would have relished an afternoon on her own, pouring over the sales from the store, but she felt no propensity to do that today.

Sitting at the vanity, combing her hair, Scarlett wondered how long it would be until she heard from Rhett again. During the war, Rhett would go away for months at a time with no word of warning of either his arrival or departure. During their disaster of a marriage, he had disappeared with Bonnie for three months. Scarlett vividly remembered that awful time. There had been no word from him - no letters to her or the children - the entire time he was gone.

Scarlett guessed that the next time she would hear from Rhett would be when a package arrived from his lawyer requesting her signature on divorce papers.

She had to stop thinking about Rhett.

Life for Scarlett and the children, with both Bonnie and Rhett gone, would be much changed. Of course, there would be no afternoon visits from Melly or any of the Old Guard, for that matter. Christmas was the following day, and she imagined that she and Wade and Ella would spend a quiet Christmas. Then, they could all travel to Tara for a few weeks of much-needed rest.

Scarlett did not wish to intrude on Suellen and Will on such short notice but there was only one place on earth where Scarlett knew she could find some measure of peace away from the gossip that would erupt once Atlanta realized Rhett Butler was not coming back.

Scarlett wasn't sure if it was exhaustion from the monotony of the train ride from Charleston or out of habit, but Rhett was the first person she had thought about upon waking. She had reached over to his side of the bed even though he hadn't slept there in years. The last few weeks had been exceptional. Would she fall asleep tonight thinking about him? When the children did or said something that she thought he would be proud of or amused by, would she consider Rhett's response?

Despite her hasty departure from Charleston, Scarlett couldn't keep Rhett out of her thoughts. Maybe she needed more time. On the night Melly died, Rhett had said something to the effect that she had transferred her affections from Ashley to him, but Scarlett was confident that was not the case. She wasn't thinking about Rhett because she was obsessed with him or angry with him. The truth was far more complicated. Would she be happy if she never saw him again? Would she forget about him eventually? The more she considered it, the more Scarlett was convinced that the answer was that she was in love with Rhett, but unfortunately, love was not enough for her to stay with a man who had acted the way he had for years.

And it was for that reason that Scarlett regretted her recent decisions. Accompanying Rhett to Charleston with the children had been a mistake. The change of scenery had resulted in her allowing herself to slip into a new routine with Rhett without really considering what she wanted.

Regardless, as Scarlett put the comb back down on her vanity, she recalled watching Rhett as the train began to pull away from the station. Until recently, she had never felt it, but now that she knew what it felt like to love and be loved, Scarlett regretted her impulsive words. Had she overreacted? She had been so angry that she had given Rhett no chance to explain. Was Robert telling the truth? Frantic, she had turned her face to the window just as Rhett mouthed something to her that she couldn't make out.

That was a lie. She would consider his words later.

Scarlett had heard once that loving someone meant letting them go, and that is precisely what she would do this time. But she would do it for herself and her children, not the man she had left behind at the train station. She would learn to be happier without Rhett than with him, and though there might be moments of misery, Scarlett realized that she and the children would be better off without Rhett Butler.

Pulling the wrapper tighter around her, Scarlett made her way to Rhett’s room. After Christmas, she would need to discuss with Pork the packing up of Rhett's belongings. His closet and drawers were full of his clothing. Books sat in piles on various surfaces, and other objects lay strewn around the room. They would be packed and sent to his mother's house in Charleston. Scarlett did not want them to remain in this house.

Bonnie's things would have to be dealt with as well, but for now, they would be packed up and moved into the attic. Pork could do that just as soon as she and the children were at Tara. Scarlett did not think she had the strength to go through the child's toys and clothing on her own. It was hard enough to look at Bonnie's tiny bed and the doll that was left behind on it.

All of Wade's things had already found a home in his new room, but perhaps Rhett’s room could be made into a bedroom for Ella. There was no need for a nursery any longer, especially not for a single child. The nursery would make a lovely sitting room for her and the children to enjoy.

With those decisions out of the way, Scarlett went in search of Pork. A Christmas tree would need to be found at this late date, and the decorations brought out from storage. She was jarred out of her musings as she heard her name.

"Scarlett?"

"God’s nightgown Rhett, what are you doing here? I thought I made myself clear in Charleston that I didn't want to see you again." Damn this man, Scarlett thought. Why doesn't he leave my children and me alone?

"You did, but you never gave me the opportunity to change your mind," he drawled, watching her carefully.

"That’s unfortunate for you, Rhett because I'm not going to change my mind," Scarlett exclaimed, wondering what it would take to get him to leave. She wasn't ready to talk to him. The last time he had suddenly reappeared, had led to their disastrous trip to Charleston.

"They say I have a way -"

"Your ways may work with whores, Rhett, but they won’t work with me," Scarlett blurted out. "Please leave, Rhett. Now."

"Scarlett -"

"No, Rhett. I won't listen to you for a moment longer. I'm tired -"

"Scarlett, Carreen is waiting for you downstairs," Rhett interrupted.

Scarlett wasn't sure she heard him correctly. "Carreen?"

"Yes."

"Why is Carreen here? Is something wrong?"

"Why don't you go down and speak to her? You don't want to keep her waiting any longer."

Sweeping past him, Scarlett hissed, "This discussion is not over, Rhett."

As she left his room, Scarlett clearly heard Rhett respond, "I look forward to it."

Scarlett found Carreen sitting in the parlor, and if it hadn't been for Rhett's warning, she was imagining the presence of her baby sister in her house.

"Carreen, what happened, baby?"

Sitting beside her sister, Scarlett immediately noticed that Carreen was not dressed as a nun. Though she did not recall all the lessons of her Catholic upbringing, she was certain a nun - even someone who was still preparing to become one - should not be wearing a day dress, which Scarlett had to admit looked stylish on her sister. The style looked recent, which confused Scarlett. This was certainly not the outfit, Carreen had left in to go to Charleston nearly a decade before.

Scarlett watched Carreen look up as Rhett entered the room.

"Carreen?" Scarlett repeated, trying to ignore Rhett's presence.

"I've decided not to become a nun, Scarlett," Carreen answered.

"I simply don't understand, Carreen, why you would change your mind," Scarlett insisted, unable to read the expression on her sister's face.

"Scarlett," Rhett interjected, looking from her to Carreen. "I cannot speak for Carreen, but I know I would appreciate eating something and then going to sleep. This is a conversation that should be had when we are all more alert."

Scarlett jumped up from her seat. "Of course. Carreen, I'll show you to the guest room." Stopping abruptly, she asked, "Did you bring anything with you? I'm sure I have an old nightgown you can wear."

"Scarlett, that won't be necessary. Miss Eleanor insisted that Rhett take me shopping before we left Charleston so I won't need much else for now." Carreen explained. "Thank you once again, Rhett."

Scarlett stared at Rhett. "Yes, thank you, Rhett."

Rhett smiled. "You don't need to thank me, Carreen. As I said in Charleston, we are family, and," shifting his focus to Scarlett, he continued, "we have to look out for and protect each other."

Bidding Rhett a good night, Scarlett escorted Carreen upstairs, where they looked briefly in on Wade and Ella, who were excited to have their aunt in Atlanta. Ella clung to Carreen, who promised her niece that she would return to her room to read her a book. After Ella had been appeased, Scarlett showed Carreen to the guest bedroom and sat on the bed watching as Carreen put away the few pieces of clothing and personal belongings that she had brought with her from Charleston. It would take days for Prissy to put Scarlett's dresses in order, and Carreen had finished in mere minutes.

Turning to her sister, Carreen offered, "I know it isn't my place to ask, but your husband and his mother were very kind to me," she paused, "but why would you leave Charleston right before Christmas without Rhett?"

"I - I, oh, Carreen, I wish there was a way to explain myself to make you understand and when we have time alone, and neither one of us is exhausted, I'll tell you why I left." Scarlett watched her sister thoughtfully, recalling her desire months before to have someone to talk to, but now that her baby sister was sitting in her house, Scarlett did not think she could share what had happened with anyone. It was too humiliating. "Get a good night's rest, baby." Walking to the door, Scarlett turned back to her sister, "I'm glad you've come home, Carreen."

Carreen's words stopped her.

"Part of me wonders whether I wasn't wrong to insist on entering the convent. I convinced myself that it was what I wanted and that it would give me comfort and peace after Brent's death. It never did Scarlett," Carreen admitted and Scarlett turned to face her sister. "I began to wonder whether my feelings for Brent weren't some kind of childish infatuation. Was I really in love with him or was it some childhood crush that I couldn't overcome?"

Scarlett took in her sister's thoughtful face and wondered how differently Carreen's life might have turned out if someone had said something. Everyone had convinced Scarlett that it was not her place to intervene but now she had regrets. Carreen was unhappy and she had done nothing to help her sister. There had been too many other matters to think about: her father's tragic death, her marriage to Frank, the impending birth of Ella and her obsession with financial security in the aftermath of the war. Scarlett regretted brushing aside her discomfort about Carreen's choice without a fight.

"I wish someone had told me what the difference was, Scarlett, between love and infatuation," Carreen continued. "I might have made a different choice."

"I wish I had known the difference too, Carreen," Scarlett stammered.

"Scarlett, I look at you and Rhett -"

"Not Rhett," Scarlett whispered.

"Ashley?"

Scarlett felt paralyzed. How did Carreen know about her feelings towards Ashley? Did Rhett mention it to her? Had Will or Mammy said something?

"How did you -”

“I have ears and eyes, Scarlett.” Carreen smiled shyly. “And I know you quite well.”

Crossing the room, Scarlett sat back down on the bed. “I don't think he loves me, Carreen.”

Carreen sat down beside her and hesitantly asked, “Rhett?”

“Of course, Rhett!”

“I’m sorry, Scarlett but I had to ask. I remember how you used to act with Ashley before you married and when you were at Tara after the war.”

It was probably a good thing Carreen had gone to the convent in Charleston instead of Atlanta, Scarlett thought.

“If Rhett doesn’t love you then why is he here? Why did he bring you to Charleston?” Carreen asked. “I think you're wrong about him. I like him, Scarlett, but I like most people.”

Sometime later, Scarlett closed the door to the guestroom, after wishing Carreen good night. She did not notice the worried look on her sister’s face as she shut the door behind her. The only thing Scarlett was concerned with was talking to Rhett. Her anger at him had not dissipated, but she knew she would not make the same mistake twice. As she approached Rhett's room, she saw the light coming from under the door and hoped he was in there. Flinging open the door, Scarlett let herself into the room.

"Good evening, my dear."

"I meant what I said, Rhett, I don't want you here."

"Take my advice, Scarlett, and I'm speaking from experience, but we can't always get what we want.”

“What I want is to be left alone, Rhett. I am deeply grateful to you and your mother for helping Carreen, but as soon as Christmas is over, I’m taking the children, and Carreen, if she wants to join us, to Tara."

"Scarlett, we need to -"

"No, Rhett, no more."

"I’m not leaving," Rhett insisted, and Scarlett could see the mask of indifference slip away.

"Well, I’m not staying, Rhett," she retorted. "I will remain at Tara indefinitely. All I know is that I need to go home to Tara. You can stay here, or you can go to Charleston or wherever it is you go when you have to disappear from life - I don’t care anymore."

"What if I came with you to Tara, Scarlett?" Rhett proposed.

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Why not? Why not?" Scarlett could not prevent her voice from rising. It didn't matter at that moment that Careen and the children might overhear her. "I wish you had left that night like you said you would."

"Tell me what you want," Rhett begged.

"To be happy, Rhett."

"Not with me?"

Scarlett did not respond.

"Is it, Ashley?"

"Ashley? Damn you and Ashley Wilkes!" Scarlett shouted. "If you don't get your way, you bring him up. I'm just tired, Rhett. Tired. I want to go home. I'm tired of waiting for an apology from you for all the hurtful things you've said or done to me. I'm tired of people talking about me behind my back because of something you've said or done or encouraged me to do. I'm tired of second-guessing my feelings. I'm tired of being insulted."

Rhett's expression was blank once again. Scarlett thought back over the twelve years she had known Rhett and realized that he had never shown her that he was hurt or even affected by her. How was she supposed to know he loved her? Scarlett had made it a point never to let Rhett see that he was hurting her, but maybe if she had, they wouldn't be at this crossroads. But her pride, like Rhett's, would never have allowed that vulnerability.

"Rhett, you tried to blame me for everything that went wrong in our marriage, and I know it wasn't all my doing. I didn't hide my true feelings for a decade. I wasn't insulting and cruel and indifferent. I didn't flaunt my relationship with a whore in front of the town my wife lives in. I wasn't the one who tried to buy the person I allegedly loved with money. I did my share of horrible things, but how was I to know how you felt? You've lied to me since the first day we met. I can only recall a handful of times when you were honest with, and I'm not sure if I'm even correct in saying that," Scarlett paused, trying to catch her breath. "No more lies, Rhett. I’ve had enough. I can’t read your mind, and I’m beginning to think you either can’t read mine very well, or you don’t even try. But I hate being lied to and wondering if everything you say to me is a lie. You said that you would never tolerate a lie from me, so why did you feel that you were exempt from your own rule?"

Looking defeated, Rhett suggested, "I will spend Christmas here with the children, Scarlett, and then you can take them to Tara."

"Don't do me any favors, Rhett Butler!" Scarlett exclaimed. "You seem to show more consideration for Wade and Ella than you ever have for me, Rhett." Lifting her skirts, so as not to trip over them, Scarlett turned away from him and was halfway out of the room when she blurted out. "Please go. I can't stand to look at you or be in the same house as you."

Scarlett heard Rhett's footsteps behind her and paused with her hand on the doorknob. She would scream if he did not leave her alone soon.

"Wade and Ella are the only part of you that you’ve ever shared with me, Scarlett."

Scarlett heard the door click behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know if Rhett truly ever came to terms with his mistakes when it came to Scarlett. I think that Rhett missed his chance during the war, when Ashley was gone, to win Scarlett's love. He seemed to spend his entire marriage feeling scared that she would uncover his true feelings. Every time Scarlett got close to discovering that Rhett loved her, he was cruel or lashed out at her to convince her otherwise. Neither was willing to take that terrifying but ultimately gratifying leap into love.
> 
> Rhett knew from the beginning about Scarlett's feelings towards Ashley. He may have fought his emotions but maybe he fell in love with her and it was too late for him to alter his feelings. After they married, it seemed like Rhett punished Scarlett for not returning his love. Is the banishment from her bed any different from what his father did? The rejection causes Rhett to lash out in particularly cruel ways.
> 
> Carreen might be one of the few people Scarlett couldn't or didn't protect. I always wondered why Carreen's obsession/melancholy was allowed, even accepted, by Ellen and countless readers, yet Scarlett is punished/disliked for her obsession over Ashley.
> 
> Scarlett and Rhett have a bit of work ahead of them...
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked, or left a Kudo for this story.


	13. The Red Dirt of Tara

Christmas on Peachtree Street had never been as subdued as it was that year. With the death of Bonnie and Melly hanging over her head, Scarlett had thrown herself into decorating the house upon her arrival from Charleston, but her heart wasn’t into it.

Rhett made himself useful and scarce. The very morning of his arrival, he bundled Ella and Wade into warmer jackets, and off they went in search of the perfect Christmas tree with Pork, leaving her and Carreen to sort through the handmade glass blown ornaments that she had stocked at Kennedy's the year before.

Hours later, when Rhett and the children returned, Scarlett pretended to be excited at the prospect of decorating the tree. Rhett, Carreen, and even Wade all watched her quietly while little Ella noticed nothing. The five of them managed to get through Christmas Eve dinner and midnight mass, as well as Christmas morning. Ella's excitement somewhat distracted Scarlett from the absence of Bonnie, who had torn through her presents the previous year like a hurricane. It was a good thing all the presents for the children had been purchased before her departure from Charleston, or Christmas would have been downright gloomy.

Scarlett directed only the most perfunctory comments towards Rhett and tried to spend as little time with him as possible, but even that exhausted her.

Scarlett was glad that Rhett had not fought her on her request to go home to Tara with the children. She couldn't imagine another confrontation with him. The day after Christmas found Scarlett, Carreen, Wade, and Ella back at the train station waiting for their train to Jonesboro. The parting was subdued though Scarlett knew that Rhett was watching her for any sign of uncertainty or a change of heart. Both Ella and Wade were sad to leave Rhett behind, but both were excited at the prospect of playing with their Benteen cousins.

After Christmas lunch, Scarlett had written to Uncle Henry, who had agreed that once-weekly he would take the train to Tara and bring her the account books from Kennedy's for her to check over. Carreen brought up Wade and Ella's schooling, generously volunteering to act as their tutor so that her niece and nephew didn't fall too far behind. Once Scarlett decided as to where they were going to live, a more permanent arrangement would be made.

Scarlett fervently hoped that when she needed to be in Atlanta next, Rhett would have already left for parts unknown. A month, Scarlett calculated, would be more than enough time for Pork to clear out Rhett's belongings.

There would be no need to return to Atlanta for the foreseeable future.

Will was waiting for them at the platform when the train pulled into the Jonesboro depot. Scarlett had not mentioned that Carreen would be with her, but luckily, Will managed to hide any surprise her reappearance may have caused.

For a moment, Scarlett wondered if Will wasn't still a little in love with Carreen. Will had married Suellen, despite being in love with Carreen, because he had known Carreen would never agree to marry him, and Will had been desperate to remain at Tara. Whether Will was actually happy with Suellen as his wife, had never crossed Scarlett's mind.

"Will Rhett be joining us soon, Scarlett?" Will asked, loading their numerous trunks on the back of the wagon.

"He’s not coming to Tara."

Will, always a man of few words, took in the information and the tone with which it was given and said nothing.

* * *

While Will had never been much of a talker, and Suellen’s children were excited to see Wade and Ella, Suellen’s welcome left much to be desired.

"I know this is partly your home Scarlett, but you could have given us some notice, especially since you have Carreen with you."

"I did, Suellen. I thought two days was sufficient warning that we were coming to visit." Scarlett wondered if Suellen's annoyance had more to do with her advanced pregnancy than anything else. "This is Carreen's home as much as it is yours or mine."

"Not according to the church," Suellen announced, before turning her to Carreen. "Did you even think to ask about your dowry, as it appears you've finally regained your sanity?"

Scarlett cringed as she watched the look of embarrassment cross Carreen's face. In the upheaval of the last few days, Scarlett had forgotten all about Carreen's portion of Tara being given over to the Church as a dowry when she first entered the convent. When things settled, she would ask Uncle Henry to make some inquiries. There was no way the Church could keep part of Tara now.

"How long are you planning on staying, Scarlett?" Suellen demanded, her face flush with annoyance.

"I don’t know, Suellen, as long as I want. This is still partly my house, and enough of my money has gone towards it, or have you forgotten that detail?"

How long could she live under the same roof as Suellen again? Pregnant or not, Scarlett wanted to throttle her, and they had only just arrived.

"You keep reminding us," Suellen whined.

"Sometimes, you need reminding."

"Where’s your husband?"

"He's not coming."

"Ever?"

"Suellen, it’s none of your concern," Scarlett announced as she swept past her and onto the porch. "Now, where’s Mammy?"

"So, he finally left you."

"Where’s Mammy?" Scarlett repeated, fighting the urge to slap her sister. Pregnant or not, Suellen was a bitch. Ellen would be mortified that Scarlett had even thought the word, but Scarlett did not care.

"I’m surprised Rhett lasted as long as he did. Or that he's alive. Charlie and Frank didn’t fare too well."

"Shut up, Suellen!" Scarlett hoped that once Will returned to the house, his presence would quiet Suellen, or she would strike her sister before the night was over. Frank had been dead for close to six years, and Scarlett had been married to Rhett for almost as long, and Suellen was still dwelling on her old beau.

"I'm not surprised that you are alone, Scarlett. You ruin everything. You never think of anyone but yourself. You are a spoiled, selfish, horrible person!" Suellen spat, a devilish smile crossing her face.

Rhett had once warned her that her sister might never get over the supposed theft of Frank. Scarlett had stolen him without remorse, and Suellen had every right to hate her for the rest of her life. It was, after all, her choice.

Scarlett glared at Suellen as she swept past her and into the house. The moment she set foot in it, the memories of her childhood came flooding back. Rushing down the stairs with her sisters to get to Ellen first, family dinners in the dining room, prayers in the parlor and best of all her mother's office, probably the one room in the home that Scarlett spent more time in than any other. She would make sure to reclaim it during her stay.

"I trust that my room is still available," Scarlett said, looking back at her sister.

"For now? Well, at least until the girls get bigger -"

"Suellen, if you even think about moving one of the girls into my room, you will regret it!" Scarlett snapped, not registering the fact that Carreen was quietly watching the exchange with a shocked look on her face. The poor girl was probably missing the quiet of the motherhouse.

"Will I?"

"Yes, you will."

"This house does not belong to you alone, Suellen!"

"It’s not yours either, Scarlett!"

Suellen always brought out the catty side of her. They had fought incessantly as young girls and had quickly fallen into their old routine.

"Mammy?" Scarlett asked once again.

"Mammy is in the far guest room. She’s been of no help since she arrived. What did you do to make her leave you? She's become one more mouth to feed and -"

"Shut your mouth, Suellen! I'm quickly losing the battle not to slap you. Mammy didn’t come here to work."

"I know. She came to get away from you!" Suellen huffed and motioned for Carreen to follow her.

For a moment, Scarlett wondered how she would survive the night, let alone a few weeks, under the same roof as her sister without them killing each other.

Peeling off her gloves and bonnet, Scarlett placed them on the bed in her room and walked the short distance to the room that held Mammy. Suellen and Will had long ago moved into Gerald and Ellen's bedroom, as the door to Suellen's adolescent room stood open and looked unused. Scarlett had no idea if Carreen's room was in use or where Wade would sleep, but there was no way Wade could go back to sharing the nursery with Ella and Suellen’s growing brood of children. Suellen could figure it all out on her own.

The door to Mammy's room was closed; the silence was ominous.

"Mammy?"

Scarlett knocked and waited.

"Mammy, it's me, Scarlett," she repeated while considering whether Mammy was asleep.

"Come, chile." Mammy's muffled response reached her ears through the massive door.

When Scarlett opened the door, she found Mammy sitting in front of the window with her hands folded on her lap and staring out at the fields. Mammy did not turn her head when Scarlett approached her. For her entire life, Mammy had been the one person Scarlett could reach out to for comfort. More so than Ellen. Even as a small child, she had run to Mammy’s arms when she scraped her leg or cut herself while out playing with the Tarleton twins or any of her other county friends.

That had made Mammy’s defection to Tara after Bonnie’s death that much harder to understand. Mammy had always been behind her. She may have scolded her for putting on airs or doing anything unladylike, but Mammy had always supported and loved her.  
Mammy had always helped her get what she wanted. As Scarlett looked at the old face, she realized Mammy had even helped her to dress for the wedding when she sought to capture Frank Kennedy after the war. Mammy had known fully what Scarlett meant to do and that Suellen was promised to Frank. There was nothing Mammy wouldn't do for Scarlett, but that had changed when Bonnie died. After Bonnie's funeral when Scarlett had begged Mammy not to move to Tara, there was nothing Scarlett could do or say to convince her to stay in Atlanta.

"Oh, Mammy, I’m so glad to see you and finally spend some time with you. I’ve missed you so much these last few months. I have so much to tell you."

Mammy said nothing but continued to look out the window. Scarlett wondered if Mammy had even heard her.

"Things between Rhett and I are terrible, Mammy."

Still, there was no response.

"Mammy, did you hear me?"

"I tired, chile."

Scarlett watched Mammy for another moment and then managed to get to her room before the tears fell. Scarlett did not go down for supper that night and instead, had a tray brought up to her room where she picked at her food but ate very little. Her conversation with Mammy had thrown her off. She was sure that once she told Mammy about Rhett, Mammy would offer her advice or at least acknowledge what had happened. Mammy hadn’t even looked at her.

Once she had made a decision, Scarlett had learned not to look back. It didn't help any to re-examine a choice. What was done, was done? But as she fell asleep listening to the sounds of Tara, Scarlett wondered whether she had made the right choice.

* * *

The next morning dawned bright, and despite the chilly weather, Scarlett rushed outside after a quick breakfast and prepared one of the horses for a ride. When she noticed the empty stall where Gerald's horse had always been, she felt her heart constrict. Will, in one of his letters last year, had mentioned the animal's death, but the news had hardly registered at the time. Now Scarlett's eyes watered as she conjured up images of her father jumping the fences around Tara, hoping his wife would not discover his secret. Scarlett missed her father most at that moment as she inhaled the smell of horses and hay.

Riding on a horse around Tara would help set her mind at ease, Scarlett decided. She would go to all her favorite places on the vast plantation, and everything would be better once she got back. She didn’t care that Suellen would probably expect her to help with something around the house; Carreen was around if Suellen needed anything. Scarlett felt slightly guilty about abandoning Carreen so soon after their arrival, but she would not spend any more time with Suellen than was necessary.

Suellen would not do anything spiteful to either Wade or Ella, if Carreen were around, so Scarlett let herself enjoy the power of the horse beneath her. Scarlett loved the red earth underneath her, and if it weren’t for the presence of Suellen and her family, she would never leave Tara again. Indeed, if she wanted to, she could live at Tara with the children and still run her store if she made a few trips into Atlanta every few months. That is if Suellen were not around. But that wasn’t going to be an option. As the horse found the trail that led back to Tara, Scarlett could hear the galloping of horse hooves on the ground.

Scarlett squinted and looked up the trail to where Beatrice Tarleton appeared on a beautiful brown mare.

"Scarlett!" Beatrice called out in greeting, pulling her horse beside Scarlett's. "Suellen never mentioned that you would be coming for a visit. It's been quite some time since you've been home."

"Good morning, Mrs. Tarleton," Scarlett responded, taking in the visible changes in the woman before her.

Beatrice Tarleton, for as long as Scarlett could remember, had been easily excited and rough; almost as loud-spoken as Gerald. Perhaps, it all had to do with being the mother of Brent and Stu, who seemed to find trouble everywhere they went.

"Scarlett, please call me Beatrice," she insisted.

"It was a bit of a last-minute visit, Mrs - Beatrice. I’ve been in Charleston with my husband’s family until recently."

Scarlett thought back to the last time she had been back to visit. It had been after her accident, and she hardly wanted to think, let alone talk about that disastrous trip, with Beatrice Tarleton.

Reaching forward to lay her hand on Scarlett's, Beatrice plainly said, "I was sorry to hear about your daughter."

Here was another woman, like Mrs. Meade, who would understand the depth of her loss. All four of the Tarleton boys had been lost in the war, and it shocked Scarlett to think that they had been gone for over a decade. She could still vividly recall flirting with Stu and Brent on the porch at Tara the day before the last Twelve Oaks barbecue.

"And where is your husband?" Scarlett's thoughts were interrupted by the question. One could always trust Beatrice to bring up uncomfortable things. "Scarlett, if I didn’t know you better, I’d guess you were making up Captain Butler. Other than that day at Twelve Oaks, I've never seen hide nor hair of that man 'round these parts."

"I’m not sure Rhett would even like the country, Beatrice. His people are from Charleston, and he did a lot of traveling as a young -"

"I know, Scarlett, I've heard all the rumors. I still don’t understand why you’ve never brought him around." Beatrice flicked her hand at Scarlett's statement.

"Both Mother and Pa were gone by the time Rhett and I married, and neither of them would have approved of him when we were friends during the war," Scarlett explained, though she wasn't sure that was the reason given Rhett's earlier disclosure.

"I know Ellen did not approve of him, but Scarlett, you are indeed a silly woman if you believe that of Gerald," Beatrice laughed, tossing her head back. "I remember talking to your father before he left for Atlanta, and I got the impression from Gerald that he was going to bring you home. When he returned to Tara, he spoke of Captain Butler with great affection. Gerald said that Captain Butler reminded him of himself when he was younger."

"Just like Pa?" Is that what Rhett had meant by his words? Scarlett had not had a chance to consider Rhett's disclosures too closely but Beatrice's explanation made sense.

"Yes. Tell me about him, Scarlett," Beatrice demanded.

"Rhett's from Charleston, and when he was a young man, he was thrown out of his home for an incident and his refusal to marry a young lady. He traveled a bit, Cuba and other places, I think, before he made a name for himself as a blockade runner during the war, " Scarlett paused to consider the possibility of similarity but could find none. "He’s nothing like Pa, Beatrice. You must have misunderstood him."

"Scarlett, I can understand why you didn’t think so, but your husband is more like your Pa than you think. I remember when your Pa first arrived here. Gerald had won Tara in a poker game. He and Pork came, and he slowly built up the farm over the course of many years. Gerald had less than nothing when he arrived; he had to borrow money from your uncles, if I'm not mistaken, in order to do any work on the land. Gerald always bragged of having nothing when he fled Ireland. It took him years to build up Tara, and I'll tell you," Beatrice leaned in, "I was shocked when he went to Savannah and brought home your mother as his bride. Gerald O'Hara sure married above his station in life - something tells me Captain Butler did as well."

Scarlett sat quietly, thinking about it while Beatrice rambled on. On the surface, her Pa and Rhett would look similar to someone who didn't really know them, but her Pa was nothing like her husband. Scarlett would not believe the two men had anything in common. Her Pa was a gentleman, despite his unconventional manners. Perhaps, gentleman was the wrong term, but that made no difference to Scarlett. Her Pa and her husband were as dissimilar as two men could be.

"Scarlett, are you listening?" Beatrice scolded. "Can you speak to Will and tell him that we are expecting him and Suellen and the girls on New Year's Eve. Are the children with you?"

"Yes, and Carreen has come home as well."

"Come home? For a visit?" Beatrice asked, surprised.

"No, it seems that she has decided not to become a nun," Scarlett explained, realizing she still did not know what had made Carreen leave her convent.

"Thank goodness!" Beatrice exclaimed. "I couldn't stand thinking of that poor girl being all alone in Charleston. It was clear that she had feelings for my boy, but I never understood her decision. Carreen was too young to understand the difference between love and lust. Unfortunately, Ellen wasn't around to talk to her."

"Carreen made the decision before Christmas, and I haven't had a chance to talk to her about it. I'm not sure what happened, although Rhett does."

"Will Captain Butler be joining you in the new year?"

"I'm not sure if Rhett can get away," Scarlett fibbed.

"Then you and Carreen must join us. We will talk soon, Scarlett."

Scarlett watched Beatrice's horse trot down the road, but her thoughts were on Beatrice's observations of her Pa and Rhett. There was no way the woman could be correct. It just didn't make sense.

* * *

Rhett spent New Year's Eve alone in his room at the National Hotel listening to the noise of revelers from the street below drift up to his room. He had nothing to celebrate and had no wish to surround himself with anyone.

After Scarlett and the children left Atlanta for Tara, he had gone back to the Peachtree Street house. Wandering from one empty room to another, it struck him that the house he had built with the hope of winning Scarlett's love or allegiance, now sat empty. There were ghosts in every room: Scarlett, Bonnie, and even Wade and Ella. In his mind floated images of Scarlett tumbling down the stairs and her crumpled body lying at its base. The memory of Bonnie's body placed lovingly in her bed at the foot of his own, with grass stains on her dress, nearly undid him.

Everywhere Rhett looked he was reminded of the fact that he was alone and that much of the fault lay with him. For the first time in his life, his state of isolation bothered him. As a young man, thrown out of his father's home, he had relished being alone with his own thoughts. Now, Rhett knew what he had lost. Despite the problems in his marriage, his relationship with Scarlett had afforded him things he did not think he needed, wanted, or missed: a wife, children, and a place to call home. He suddenly missed her with a desperation he had not felt before. Scarlett had been his first and only chance at having what most people took for granted, and he had let that happiness slip through his grasp.

The house was too quiet; Rhett could hear his heart beating as the stifling silence overwhelmed him. Intense fear gripped him; if he stayed much longer, he would need a drink resulting in a downward spiral he'd be unable to pull himself out of.

If he were going to convince Scarlett somehow to give them a second chance, Rhett knew he would need to stay sober. It wasn't until he walked into Scarlett's recently vacated bedroom that he admitted to himself that he had never had any real intention of leaving his wife. On the night that Melly died, he had anticipated his wife's announcement that she wanted a divorce to marry Ashley and when that didn't happen, he'd made a hasty decision.

Remaining in the house with Scarlett and taking her to Charleston had both been amateur attempts to rectify the situation without actually doing anything. He should have known better. The entire time they'd been in Charleston, he had done his worst when it came to letting her know what he thought when it came to their marriage. Rhett had tried to be indifferent but soon found that as every day slipped by, he fell into a comfortable routine with Scarlett.

After he had been readmitted to her bed, Rhett had fought his body nightly. He wanted to wrap his arms around her. For the first time in his adult life, he had what he wanted, but instead of reassuring Scarlett and building a relationship with her, he had laid in a bed with the woman he loved, afraid to touch her and content to hide his genuine emotions from her.

Following the disaster of Ella's birthday, Rhett had let his guard down momentarily with Scarlett, who had seemed open to the possibility of listening. He and Scarlett were rarely on the same page, and yet again, an opportunity to reconcile had been missed. Ignoring Robert's cruel behavior, especially when it escalated quickly at Rosemary's wedding, had been a mistake, Rhett quickly realized. Scarlett had felt insulted and hurt, but more so due to the fact that his brother had acquired intimate knowledge of their problems from the one person Scarlett seemed to hate most: Belle. Rhett knew he should have done everything possible to reassure her, but Scarlett had given him neither the time or opportunity to explain.

Scarlett's abrupt departure from Charleston and her subsequent announcement that she was going to Tara, had not shocked him. What had thrown him, Rhett recalled, was the depth of Scarlett's unhappiness. He had been so busy focusing on himself after Bonnie's death that he thought nothing of how dissatisfied his wife had been. And he hadn't cared. Not really. That is until a few nights ago. It was still relatively new to him to have to worry about someone else.

Time and again, Scarlett had been offended by his mention of a divorce, and now, she seemed more than willing to accept this fate. There was no way Rhett could have brought it up, even in jest; he was surprised when Scarlett didn't. The chasm between them had widened with each passing day, and Rhett was afraid it was too late to be bridged. Rhett wondered if there was even a chance to begin anew or whether he would be alone for the rest of his life.

It was time he focused on his wife and kids. Rhett knew he would need to go to Tara and hope Scarlett would let him set foot on the property. He wouldn't put it past her to chase him off.

Hopefully, he wasn't too late, but first, Rhett knew he had to take care of some unfinished business in Atlanta.

"Rhett!" Belle exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "How are you? Where have you been?"

Belle had been sitting at her desk, with a bottle of whisky and a half-full glass, when Rhett let himself into the room without knocking.

"Stop with the fucking games, Belle," Rhett's harsh words momentarily startled the tired woman across the room. "You know exactly where I've been."

Belle looked guilty, Rhett noted.

"Fucked anybody interesting recently, Belle?" Rhett seated himself In his usual chair, lazily crossed his legs, and lit a cigar.

"I'm not sure I -" Belle stuttered.

"My brother." Rhett took a long drag and exhaled slowly. "At your age, I would think you would be concerned with retirement, not finding new men to fuck."

"Rhett, you don't understand -"

"I don't understand?" Rhett mimicked. "From the sounds of it, you've been busy since I last saw you."

Belle looked away as he glared at her, but Rhett did not ease his gaze. He couldn't care less if she was uncomfortable. For the first time in their acquaintance, he saw Belle for what she was: a cold, calculating bitch.

"I don't know what your brother told you, but it was all his idea," Belle offered, but Rhett could hear the uncertainty in her tone.

"Firstly, he told me nothing; he spoke to my wife, which I don't appreciate." In a quick movement, Rhett was beside her, flinging the glass off the desk and pinning Belle against the wall by her upper arms, behind her desk. A cry escaped her lips as he drew his face close to hers. "What did you say to my dear brother, Belle, and don't bother lying to me?"

She struggled to get away from him, but Rhett was much stronger and held her firmly in place.

"Nothing, Rhett, I wouldn't say anything."

"Shut the fuck up, Belle. Every word out of your mouth is a lie." His face was so close to her that he couldn't miss the fear in her eyes. "I know I shouldn't have expected anything more from a whore, but I did Belle. I expected some fucking loyalty after everything I've done for you."

"I swear, Rhett, that it wasn't my idea. I never said anything to him." Rhett released her arms, and she slumped further down the wall.

"We are done, Belle. I'm pulling my money from this place, and unless you can come up with the money you owe me, I'm shutting you down," Rhett said calmly while watching Belle rub her upper arms.

"I don't need you or your money, Rhett," Belle shot back.

Rhett looked at her intently. Something was not adding up in this conversation.

"Maybe not, but not having it will complicate things," Rhett smirked. "Robert must have offered you a lot of money? I guess that even old, depleted whores can demand good pay."

Belle tossed her head back to laugh. "Why do you even care so much, Rhett?"

"Scarlett."

"Scarlett? You'd value a cheating bitch over me?" Belle asked.

"Every time Belle. Every time. I chose a whore over my wife for years, but no more," Rhett announced. "Be careful, Belle. I'm not done with you yet."

"Maybe I'm not done with you, Rhett."

"Is that a threat, Belle?"

Belle smiled at him, "Get the fuck out of my house, Rhett. You are not welcome here."

Slamming the key he had used for years to let himself into Belle's, Rhett walked out of the room.

That had been two days ago. Instead of returning home, Rhett had gone directly to the National, not able to spend another night in his home, where he had run into Henry Hamilton, who told him of his agreement to travel to Atlanta weekly.

Earlier today, after turning down Henry's offers, to spend New Year's with him and his friends, Rhett chose to spend the evening alone. There was no way he could stand spending an evening with Atlanta's Old Guard, dodging questions about him and Scarlett. He was in bed when 1874 was ushered in by revelers in the city. 1873 had been a catastrophe, and Rhett was not sad to see it end. For the first time in years, he was asleep when the new year began.

* * *

Everyone had enjoyed themselves at the Tarleton’s place on New Year's Eve, though the gathering was more subdued than those Scarlett remembered from before the war. Beatrice and her husband Jim, and their four daughters welcomed the O'Hara - Hamilton - Kennedy - Butler - Benteen clan graciously into their home. All the original families who were still living in the country were there.

Sally Fontaine, who smiled shyly at Scarlett, rarely left Alex's side unless it was to check on her children. It was hard to believe that Tony wouldn't come barreling into the room. Scarlett wondered if anyone had heard from him recently. Was he still in Texas? Poor Dimity was missing, as well, but who could blame her after losing Alex. Scarlett hadn't always thought that way, but now she felt sympathy for the girl after her beau married his widowed sister in law.

Betsy's husband sat beside Scarlett's brother-in-law, talking with Will and Alex about the upcoming season and all the work that the next few months would bring. Scarlett promised herself that she would find a moment to ask one of the Tarleton girls about Cathleen. The last time Scarlett had heard any news of her old friend, Cathleen and her Yankee husband had moved up north.

Will and Suellen brought their girls, and along with Wade and Ella, all the children were running around the house, playing games while the adults sat, eating, drinking and reminiscing.

Scarlett thought it odd that no one seemed altogether sad when the name of a county boy who had died in the war was mentioned. The company assembled recounted the antics of the Tarleton boys, and the scrapes Raif Calvert and Lafe Monroe had managed to get into without overshadowing Brent and Stuart. Scarlett privately recalled numerous occasions where she and the Tarleton twins had got into childish troubles or the time she had broken her arm on a dare to climb a tree. Carreen's face momentarily softened when Brent's name was brought up, but otherwise, she was quiet and watchful.

It wasn't until Hetty Tarleton brought up the last ball before the war that Scarlett remembered sitting with Brent and Stuart while Mammy Jincy read her fortune.

"Hetty, you didn't actually believe a word Mammy Jincy said, did you?"

Scarlett laughed when Beatrice scolded her daughter for wishing for some similar entertainment.

"Mammy Jincy said I was going to marry a jet black-haired, mustached man," Scarlett confessed to those seated around her. She smiled, thinking back to the twin's reaction. "Neither Brent or Stuart seemed too happy to hear that."

"You see Mother, Mammy Jincy was accurate. Scarlett's known all along, she was supposed to marry Captain Butler," Hetty argued.

Scarlett blushed and was happy that the discussion moved away from her. How could she have been so stupid? She had forgotten entirely about the fortune until Hetty brought it up. It hadn't dawned on her that she should have known that Mammy Jincy was speaking of Rhett. By the time she had met Rhett at the barbeque the next day, she had forgotten all about the fortune and was so absorbed with thoughts of marrying Ashley that she had not made the connection.

Mammy Jincy had not been very specific or accurate. Rhett was not her first or only husband, and neither Charles or Frank had fit that description. Scarlett wondered how different things might have been had she paid more attention to the wise older woman.

Looking up, Scarlett noticed that Beatrice was intently watching her, and Scarlett unexpectedly recalled the last time she had spent substantial time with Brent and Stu's mother: after Gerald's death. Her mind wandered to a long-forgotten conversation from that same day. Even though Grandma Fontaine had died before Scarlett's last visit to Tara, there had been no reason to think about an earlier warning from the woman who had at one point terrified her. Grandma Fontaine had tried to tell her once how useless Ashley was. If only she had listened, but at the time, Scarlett had been so upset at what turned out to be accurate views on the man. Melly had been the best part of him, and Scarlett had been too stupid to see it.

Mammy Jincy's prophecy was one thing, but Grandma Fontaine's words might have saved her marriage, had Scarlett listened to her. Grandma Fontaine had tried to warn her that Ashley would never make her happy. She and Ashley simply didn't have the same views about the world. Ashley had turned out to be entirely helpless and resistant to the new realities of life brought about by the defeat of the south.

The only household completely absent was the Wilkes' family, and Scarlett suddenly felt a tinge of guilt at not checking on Beau before her departure for Tara. Uncle Henry had insisted that both Beau and Ashley were doing as well as could be expected. Melly's death had allowed Henry to take the first steps to rejoin his family at Sunday suppers. Scarlett could hardly picture Aunt Pitty, Uncle Henry, Ashley, India, and little Beau gathering together but was secretly glad as it absolved her somewhat from her own negligence of her nephew.

When the new year dawned, and celebration broke out around her, Scarlett forcefully pushed all thoughts of Rhett out of her mind.

By Sunday morning, Scarlett was quite recovered and looked forward to Henry's impending visit as he would likely be arriving shortly with the books. She wasn’t exactly sure what Henry planned to do while he was at Tara, but she didn’t honestly care. They would talk about some business, and Scarlett decided that she would even mention the possibility of the sale of the Peachtree Street house to him. There was no reason why Uncle Henry could not start looking for a possible buyer. There was no way she could ever return to that house.

Scarlett had been thinking it over, and she hoped Rhett would agree to sell the house. Perhaps Uncle Henry could convince Rhett, wherever he was, that the best thing would be to part with the house, and then with whatever money Rhett decided she might have, she could conceivably purchase a smaller home for her and Wade and Ella. Even if she and the children returned to Atlanta, that house would be too big. Not that the house hadn’t been too big when Rhett lived there, and Bonnie was alive.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Scarlett was startled out of her musings by a child's infectious scream. It wasn't possible, Scarlett thought to herself. There was no way this was happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Mammy. I think that at the end of the novel, she needed to get away just as Rhett did. She must have felt like a failure. She had tried to protect the O’Hara/Butler family, but what a disappointment she must have felt when Scarlett married yet another man she did not love, or when she lashed out at Rhett after Bonnie’s death. Mammy also failed to rein in Rhett resulting in an overly spoiled Bonnie. The guilt Mammy feels about Bonnie's fear of the dark was sad. Mammy probably also realized that she couldn’t protect Scarlett from herself anymore. I didn't always agree with some of Mammy's tactics in the book but I can't blame her for needing to go home.
> 
> My intent, when I started this story, was never to focus primarily on Rhett, but that was the story that developed. I thought it was time to see what Mrs. Butler has been thinking.
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked, or left a Kudo for this story.


	14. A Southern Crusade

"Mother! Mother! Daddy is here!" Ella exclaimed, somewhat unnecessarily. Clearly, the excitement of having her stepfather appear at Tara was boundless. Ella was hopping back and forth from one foot to the next and did not notice that her mother had finally set her eyes on the man that she believed she would not see again for quite some time, if ever.

“I see that, Ella darling.” Scarlett descended the front steps and walked towards Ella, who was watching Rhett unload something from the carriage. She stroked her daughter's hair before glancing at her husband. “Good morning, Rhett.”

"Good morning, Scarlett."

Rhett nodded his head in her direction but made no move to touch her in greeting. He set some parcels on the stairs and lifted Ella into his arms, who squealed in delight.

"Good morning, Miss Ella."

"Daddy, I've missed you so much!" Ella threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek with a lot smack. "I haven't seen you in so long."

Rhett laughed loudly, piercing the silence of the morning. "It's only been a few days, baby, but you've gotten so big since the last time I saw you," Rhett teased.

"Did you bring me something, Daddy?"

"Ella!" Scarlett protested. "Where are your manners?"

"It's fine, Scarlett," he said over Ella's shoulder. Returning his attention to Ella, he inquired seriously. "Did you miss me?"

"Yes!" Ella shrieked.

"Well, I suppose there might be something for you in this pile of gifts." Setting the little girl back down on the ground near Scarlett, he looked at Scarlett as he asked, "Did your mother miss me?"

"I don't know," Ella replied, looking nervously at her mother.

Rhett bent at the waist and whispered, "Then I think I'll give you her gift."

Ella giggled at Rhett.

"Go on inside, Ella, and see if you can find your brother," Scarlett ordered, crossing her arms.

"Yes, Mother," Ella mumbled, but then nervously asked, "Daddy, you're not going anywhere before I get back?"

"No, Ella. Do as your Mother asked and find your brother and your cousins. There might be something in this pile for everyone," Rhett reassured her and then winked at her, which sent the giggling girl up the stairs and into the house.

"Why are you here, Rhett?" Scarlett waited until Ella was out of earshot. "I thought I made myself very clear before I left."

Rhett closed the distance between them and whispered huskily in her ear, "I told you once before that I would tolerate anything, but a lie from you, Scarlett," he paused, "and you're lying."

Scarlett took an abrupt step away from him as if she'd been stung by something.

"I wasn't lying, Rhett," Scarlett maintained.

"I came to visit my wife and children and see your Tara with my own eyes." Rhett seemed to ignore her earlier statement.

"Well, you've seen it," Scarlett fumed, moving her hands to her hips. "Now, you can leave. I'm busy. Uncle Henry is coming with the books -"

"Uncle Henry is not coming today, Scarlett."

"He's not? What did you -"

"I looked at your books yesterday. I spent the day at the store, and it has done quite well over the last few months. You made a nice profit this fall. So there will be no need for you to worry. I will continue to look after the store until you return home."

"God's nightgown, Rhett, I never asked you to do any of that, and I'm certainly not coming home anytime soon," Scarlett asserted, hoping he caught the annoyance in her tone.

"As you wish, Scarlett."

Rhett began picking up some of the parcels just as Pork appeared from the house. Scarlett's head snapped to look at him. When had Pork arrived?

"Pork, will you help me with these gifts, and then you and Dilcey can get settled in?" Rhett told him.

Pork responded, "Captain Butler, don't you worry ‘bout those packages." Taking them from Rhett, he added," Both Dilcey and I are very happy to be back at Tara. Dilcey is a bit worried about the Wilkes' -"

"Pork, Uncle Peter is looking after things. Mr. Wilkes and Beau seem to be spending most of their time at Miss Pittypat's house anyway so there's nothing for her to worry about."

Scarlett listened in stunned silence to the conversation. Dilcey had returned to Tara as well? Both Pork and Dilcey must have arrived with Rhett earlier.

"You look a little confused, Scarlett," Rhett teased, returning his attention to her as Pork disappeared into the house, "but I hope you can still manage to show me around the property."

"I'm not showing you anything, Rhett, except for the train depot. I don't know who you think you are showing up like this. And what's the meaning of bringing Dilcey and Pork here?" Scarlett demanded, her voice rising an octave.

"Scarlett, you need to calm yourself. I'm not leaving until you show me Tara, and I spend time with my children," he explained. "As for Dilcey and Pork, this is their home, and when I asked them if they would like to return to Tara while you are here, they both jumped at the chance." Rhett stepped around her and began walking the path that led to the back of the house. "I presume that the stable is around back, Scarlett?"

"Rhett, I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Ella seemed excited to see me," Rhett called over his shoulder, "and I'm sure Wade will be as well. I'll have one of the children come with me."

Scarlett stopped on the path and shook her head at the absurdity of the situation. This man had trouble taking no for an answer, but that should not have surprised her given their history.

Picking up her pace, so she could catch up with Rhett, Scarlett, huffed, "If you take the children, you will all end up lost."

"Then you best get on a horse and show me around, Mrs. Butler," he said, without slowing his footsteps or turning around to look at her.

As they neared the stables, Scarlett saw Wade and Ella running from the house.

"Daddy!" Wade called, as he ran. When he reached Rhett, he was slightly out of breath. Hugging him around the waist, he looked up at his step-father.

"How are you, son?" Rhett asked tousling Wade's hair. "Have you been taking good care of your Mother, as we discussed?"

Wade shook his head in the affirmative. "Yes, sir."

"That's good, Wade."

"Are you going for a ride? Can I come with you?" Wade pleaded.

"No, Wade, not today," Scarlett heard herself announcing. "You still have some lessons to complete that Aunt Carreen gave you."

“But Mother, Daddy just got here. I don’t want to do my lessons, and it's Sunday,” Wade argued, eagerly looking at his step-father, hoping for an ally in his battle. While his mother may have softened somewhat in his step-father’s short absence, she was still a formidable opponent.

"If you hadn't insisted on playing with your sister and cousins for the last few days, you would be all finished. How are you ever going to get into Harvard if you don't study?"

"Mother,” Ella began to whine but was cut off by the firmness in her mother’s voice.

"Take Ella inside with you, Wade," Scarlett ordered.

“You can spend some time catching up later with Rhett before he leaves." Because he is leaving, Scarlett thought to herself, and then she wondered why she was so adamant in refusing her children. She didn't want to spend any more time with Rhett than she had to. "You have both been remiss in your lessons of late, and I will not have you falling behind. Please, do as I asked, Wade.” Scarlett looked at each of her children, who realized that their mother had no intention of budging on the matter.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure we get to spend some time together once your mother and I return. For now, go inside and see what presents I've brought you.” Rhett watched both children sullenly wander back towards the house. “Scarlett, are you ready to show me your Tara?"

Once the horses were saddled, Scarlett took Rhett around the property. She showed him both the fields that lay fallow and those that Will had replanted. They rode down by the creek, although Scarlett purposely avoided going anywhere near Twelve Oaks. Riding towards the Tarleton place, Scarlett hoped that she could introduce Rhett to Beatrice if only to dismiss what she and Beatrice had discussed only days before.

Beatrice, her husband Jim, Betsy, and her husband plus the three remaining Tarleton girls came out to greet them, and they spent a few minutes engaged in introductions and conversation about what Rhett thought of the county. Scarlett watched as her husband charmed first Beatrice and then all four of her daughters with his polished manners and genuine interest in their views. Jim Tarleton, who Scarlett sometimes found hard to read, seemed to like Rhett and stood off to the side with Rhett and Betsy's husband, while the ladies chatted.

Scarlett was annoyed, and then she found herself blushing when she saw the glance Beatrice fixed on Rhett as he mounted his horse when it was time for her and Rhett to leave.

As they rode away and when they were a safe distance, so they couldn't be heard, Rhett turned to her.

"Scarlett?"

"Yes?"

"Was Mrs. Tarleton looking at the horse or me just now? I couldn't tell."

Scarlett threw her head back and laughed loudly. He had noticed, she mused.

Anyone who knew or had spent even a moment conversing with Beatrice Tarleton knew that her passion in life was horses. Before the war took her prized animals, Beatrice Tarleton bred horses that were amongst the finest specimens in the South.

"It was probably the horse," she reassured him rather unconvincingly from the way he looked at her.

The look on Beatrice's face was not that of a horsewoman admiring a magnificent horse, but that of a woman appreciating a handsome man. Scarlett had only fully realized how handsome Rhett was on their honeymoon when other women had openly admired and flirted with him. Beatrice, appraising Rhett like many of those long-forgotten women, surprised her, and she smiled at the silliness of what she had just witnessed.

"I'm not so sure," Rhett contended, looking at her with his trademark smirk, and Scarlett soon found herself laughing along with him. "I feel like I've been - I don't know -"

Rhett's words trailed off, and for the first time in their acquaintance, he seemed at a loss for words. He almost seemed embarrassed.

It instantly stirred a memory for Scarlett.

"Now you know how I felt that day," Scarlett stated matter of factly.

"That day?"

"Yes, Rhett, that day, we met at Twelve Oaks." Rhett was watching her with interest but did not respond. "The way you looked at me. I remember thinking to myself that you knew what I looked like without my shimmy on."

"That's precisely what I'm feeling right now, Scarlett." That mischievous grin was back. "And you were not mistaken. That's exactly what I was thinking that afternoon but little did I know how much better you would look in my arms - "

"Rhett, stop it!" Scarlett blushed, feeling somewhat aroused by his candor, although the feeling quickly passed and she soon found herself laughing along with him as they rode back towards the house.

When Rhett left later that day, after visiting with the children who adored their presents, he did not try to touch her or kiss her cheek in farewell. He simply told her that he would see her on Sunday, and then he was gone.

Scarlett was disappointed, and it wasn't until much later, when she lay in her bed, that she realized that she had not gotten angry with Rhett's promise of a subsequent visit. God's nightgown! What was wrong with her?

* * *

Over the next few weeks, like clockwork, Rhett took the first train from Atlanta to Jonesboro every Sunday morning, where Will Benteen was waiting to drive him out to Tara. Gradually, he and Scarlett and the children settled into a comfortable routine. On pleasantly warm days, he went riding with Scarlett, and most days, they took Wade and Ella out for a picnic or walks along the river.

Scarlett was annoyed with herself when Rhett spent his weekly visits with only the children. Sitting in the chair in her mother’s office, she would absentmindedly flip through the Godey’s Lady Book Rhett brought from Atlanta, waiting for the children and Rhett to return to the house. On rainy days, they would sit in the office, reading or playing games Rhett brought for the children. On one Sunday, Scarlett had grown so bored that she had attempted to teach the children to play whist. Rhett had intervened; Wade seemed to enjoy learning to play poker with this step-father more. Scarlett tried not to complain but when she glanced at Rhett, his smirk told her that he saw through her imposed silence.

When they were alone, Rhett and Scarlett talked about their respective week and the children. Rhett dutifully reported any Atlanta gossip to Scarlett, and she told him the county news. They did not speak of their marriage or why Rhett was there.

On the second Sunday, Scarlett eyed Rhett suspiciously but said nothing in response to his visit. By the look on her face, she had not substantially softened her stance on him, but she also did not seem as furious with his arrival as she had been the week before.

As they slowed the horses down from a gallop to a comfortable trot following their ride, Rhett looked from the stunning vista that was Tara over to his wife.

"This view is beautiful, Scarlett. I can see why you love it here, but I'm confused about something."

She pulled her horse alongside his and looked at him questionably.

"Confused? By what, Rhett?"

"If you love this place so much, why didn't you come here more often after we married?" Rhett asked.

Scarlett glared at him for a moment, and then suddenly, her expression softened. "You think you know me so well, Rhett, and yet, you can't see the truth."

"I'm continually learning that I was mistaken in that assessment, Scarlett."

"Life was so much more exciting in Atlanta, Rhett. After the war began, I was bored to tears living here. With all the young men off fighting, there were no dances or picnics or balls.” Scarlett reached down to stroke the sleek, beautiful creature she was sitting atop. “After I married Frank, my life revolved around the store and my life in Atlanta.” Looking at the vista before her, Scarlett paused.

“You haven’t answered my question, Scarlett,” Rhett urged.

"Did it ever dawn on you, at any point, that one of the reasons why I gave up coming to Tara was because of you?" Scarlett admitted, looking anywhere but at him. “When I came to," she hesitated, choosing her words carefully, "find you after the war, I was willing to give it up for you to save it. And after we married, I knew you were unlikely to have any attachment to my family's farm, so I hardly ever came back here. Even when things were bad between us, I still couldn't leave - "

"It seems that I didn't deserve you then and I still don't, Scarlett."

Scarlett shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“We best be getting back or Suellen will think we’ve run off and left her with the children."

With a flick of her wrist, Scarlett set the horse to trot, leaving Rhett to ponder her unfinished statement. Something about the conversation with Scarlett did not sit well with Rhett that night as he took the train back to Atlanta. He had always prided himself on knowing Scarlett, but he was beginning to wonder if he knew her at all. There was something about Tara that called out to her, and for the life of him, Rhett could not understand it. They had never really talked about Tara, and they often veered around the subject altogether. Rhett was always afraid that Scarlett would bring up his decision to abandon her on the road to Rough and Ready if he pried too much.

The truth was that Rhett did not share Scarlett's love for Tara or any land, for that matter. Since his childhood, he had not put down roots anywhere for any length of time. He had never called one place home for very long before moving on to the next adventure or opportunity. The years spent in Atlanta were the closest to doing away with his nomadic lifestyle. He was not remotely drawn to anything like Scarlett was drawn to Tara, except maybe for Scarlett. Rhett didn’t understand her obsession over the land. The fact that she had been willing to offer to be his mistress and marry Frank Kennedy to save Tara confused him. There was some truth in what she had said, but Scarlett had not told him everything that afternoon.

The young woman he had left on the road to Rough and Ready was not the same person who showed up at his jail cell after the war.

Rhett had briefly considered asking Scarlett more questions, but her stubborn determination not to think about the past meant that he was sure she would brush his queries away. There were few other people he could ask. Wade had been too young. Prissy tried his patience on the best of days and would probably give him a very singular view of what happened. Melly was dead, and though she had been by Scarlett’s side the entire time, it was too late to seek the answers from her. Suellen had spoken a dozen words to him in total and seemed annoyed by his presence in her home. Will and Ashley had arrived months after the war had ended and would only be able to comment on what had occurred after the war. Rhett was sure that Will would be forthright with him, but his knowledge would be limited, and Rhett certainly had no desire to speak to Ashley. His anger towards the man had still not abated. It was somewhat dimmer but had not burned out. Perhaps his anger was unjustified, but he had to be angry at someone.

So that left only one person that he could ask, and that person was not speaking to him and had refused to see him on his previous visits.

The following Sunday found Rhett once again on the first train out to Tara. Waking up that morning, a soft drizzle that turned into a steady downpour, provided Rhett with an opportunity to discover the truth behind Scarlett's statement the previous week.

On his way out of his hotel room, Rhett picked up the account books from Scarlett's store so that she would be occupied for much of his time at Tara.

And he would be able to seek out his answers unimpeded by his wife.

Hours later, as a steady rain fell, Rhett smiled slyly as he placed the books in Scarlett's eager hands. Like a greedy child, Scarlett lost herself in the columns and numbers while Rhett sat with the children in the office, which Scarlett had taken over as her sitting room, in front of a roaring fire. He managed to teach Wade some basic lessons using a new chess set the boy had been gifted for Christmas, at the same time as Ella insisted on having a tea party with her stepfather and her dolls. Wade was a much better player than he had been when he first received the set, and Ella was much too young and easily distracted to teach her the game.

The tea party reminded Rhett's painfully of Bonnie, and though he wanted to run, he didn't. Scarlett raised her brow at the sight of him but said nothing. She tried to look unhappy that he was there, but as it became clear he was going to show up weekly, she had stopped showing her displeasure and disbelief.

With Scarlett and both children occupied, Rhett made his way up the stairs and towards Mammy’s room. If Mammy refused to talk to him, he wasn’t sure how to get Scarlett to tell him the truth. Something told him that the key to understanding his wife was in learning what had transpired at Tara after Scarlett's return.

Knocking gently, Rhett opened Mammy's door, hoping that his intrusion would not upset the woman too much.

"Mammy?"

"Mister Rhett?" Mammy was surprised by his presence in her room.

"I'm sorry for not waiting for your answer, but you’ve been avoiding me on each of my visits," Rhett explained, walking further into the room towards her.

"I do no such thing, Mister Rhett."

"Now Mammy, you and I both know that's a lie. I've been visiting every week since Christmas, and this is the first time I've laid eyes on you. I know when people are avoiding me," Rhett said, trying to keep his tone cheerful. "What I don't understand is why you don't want to see me."

Mammy looked at him and turning her head back towards the window she had been looking out of until his arrival in her room, said, "I has nuthin' to say."

"Surely, Mammy, you can talk to me," Rhett assured her.

"I have done wrong, Mister Rhett." He watched her wipe her face with the handkerchief in her hands. "I couldn’t help my lamb."

"Scarlett?"

"Yes, Mister Rhett," she nodded her head "and I couldn’t keep your Bonnie safe."

"Mammy, it wasn't -"

"No," Mammy cried, turning to stare at Rhett, "It was my job to keep that 'lil girl safe, and I didn’t do it."

"Mammy, I’m more to blame for what happened to Bonnie than anyone else," Rhett asserted, but Mammy wasn't listening to him.

"I taught her to be afraid of the dark -"

"And I let her ride and jump when she was still too young," Rhett interrupted.

They stared at each other, both stunned by the honesty in both their statements. While Rhett had been blaming himself for Bonnie's accident, Mammy had been obsessing over her mistakes

"No one blames you, Mammy, for what happened to Bonnie. I certainly never accused you," Rhett admitted. "You have always taken good care of Scarlett and the children, but now I need you to help me."

"With what?" Mammy eyed him suspiciously.

"I need to know what happened here at Tara during the war," he said simply.

"No, sir. I don’t want to talk about it."

"I need you to, Mammy. What happened when Scarlett arrived?"

"It ain't fitting for me to say."

"Mammy, " Rhett said, coming to stand in front of her. "I need to better understand Scarlett if I'm to have any chance of making my marriage work. Surely, you want to help me."

"You always treating each other something awful," Mammy muttered.

"Help me, Mammy."

"I ain't never seen two people more suited or in love but do hurtful to each other," Mammy looked, shaking her head.

Mammy said nothing for several long minutes, and when she looked at Rhett, knowing that he wouldn't leave and was just as stubborn as her lamb, she started talking. She began with Scarlett's arrival with a near-death Melly, a weak baby, a hungry Wade, and a blabbering Prissy. Scarlett’s encounter with Gerald and the stunning news of her mother’s demise the day before, saddened Rhett. Mammy spoke haltingly of Gerald going funny, the burning cotton, and the Yankee soldiers that ravaged the place before Scarlett's appearance. Rhett smiled at the thought of Scarlett, the next morning, taking control and telling everyone what to do. He was not surprised to hear that Scarlett had saved them with her instincts and bullying, putting everyone to work in search of food. His expression changed when Mammy spoke of Scarlett's determination in riding out to check on each of her neighbors, and his breath slowed when he heard how she had shot a man. Scarlett and Melly probably thought they had hidden the evidence, but it was clear to Mammy what happened when the gun went off. No one chose to talk about it, not Mammy or Pork or Dilcey, who all noticed.

They spoke of the second wave of Yankees, the burning of the kitchen, and Melly saving Scarlett's life. Pork's adventure to find food and supplies with money that miraculously appeared made Rhett smile. Mammy spoke of the long hours Scarlett spent in the field working as a field hand, as well as Gerald’s steadily deteriorating condition. Rhett listened intently when Mammy recounted the arrival of Jonas Wilkenson and the threat of losing Tara for the paltry sum of $300. Mammy admitted to being suspicious of Scarlett’s decision to travel to Atlanta and that she suspected Scarlett's true intentions. Then Mammy boldly told him how she assisted Scarlett in securing Frank’s proposal and money.

When Mammy finished, she glared at him as if to challenge him to question or reprimand her. But he didn’t. Some of Mammy's story he already knew or had guessed at, but his reverence for his wife had grown. For the first time in his life, Rhett felt shame in how he had treated and underestimated Scarlett. He had never understood some of his wife's decisions and thought that marriage to him would ease her burdens, but now Rhett realized that Scarlett was as transformed by her past as he was by his.

There was only one difference between him and Scarlett. Scarlett had done all of these seemingly underhanded things for their family, knowing that no matter what she did, they would never turn her out. The same could not be said for the Butlers of Charleston.

Rhett was angry for Scarlett and what she had had to endure when he dumped her on the side of the road. It was easy now to understand why Scarlett had been wary of trusting him. He had left her when she needed him most. Instead, she had hardened having no one to depend upon or ask for help.

And yet, she had seemingly given up Tara for him.

Throughout their entire marriage, Scarlett had pretended not to need him, but now it was becoming more apparent that she didn’t know how to ask for help without appearing weak, and there was likely an ingrained fear that he would turn his back on her again.

Rhett slipped back into the room to watch Scarlett and was mesmerized by how beautiful she was. How graceful and simple her movements were when no one was watching. He watched her brush a stray piece of hair behind her ear and nibble on her bottom lips as she scanned the columns for an out of place number. Rhett could easily read the frustration on her face as she found no errors. She leaned back in her chair and caught him watching her. Every sacrifice she had made and every struggle she had mastered was written on her face. Scarlett's expression was weary, and he realized that the woman he had married was a survivor.

He had to admire her, but Rhett wondered if that determination would ever extend to him again. He had been afraid of it months ago, but now he ached for that attention. If she allowed herself, she would fight for him and their marriage as she had fought to keep her family safe and fed and protected during the war.

It was only in listening to Mammy that Rhett realized that he could keep up with his weekly schedule for months or years, but he felt he was no closer to winning Scarlett back or changing her mind. He was going to have to do something drastic and hope that Scarlett didn’t throw him off Tara’s front steps. Rhett had no clue what he could do.

* * *

Fortunately, for Wade, the following Saturday dawned warm and sunny. It was his twelfth birthday, and while he had assured his mother that he would not be upset by Rhett's absence, Scarlett could tell that her son was disappointed. There had been no discussion of a change in his scheduled visit, and Scarlett secretly wondered if Rhett even remembered that it was a special day.

She and Carreen had planned a special day for the boy, but Scarlett did not need to worry.

Wade's cry of excitement at seeing Rhett's carriage reverberated throughout the house. Realizing that his cousin Beau sat beside his step-father was the icing on the cake. Scarlett had no idea how Rhett managed it, given Rhett's aversion to Ashley. Perhaps, Uncle Henry or Aunt Pittypat had been behind this surprise.

After Wade, Beau, Ella, and Benteen cousins ran off to play, Scarlett crossed her arms and appraised her husband.

"Don't ask, Scarlett," was all Rhett had said, while Will helped him unload some birthday gifts.

After a birthday dinner, Rhett insisted on bringing all the children outside to show Wade one of his special birthday gifts. For the next two hours, Rhett patiently taught Wade and Beau how to play catch with a ball and a glove he had brought from Atlanta. Rhett told the boys about a game he had watched some of the men play during the war. The Yankee soldiers had loved it so much that the sport was becoming increasingly popular up north.

First, Rhett taught the boys how to toss the ball and when it seemed that both Wade and Beau had mastered the basics, he brought out a wooden bat so the boys could take turns trying to hit Rhett's throws.

Until that moment, Ella and Suellen's two oldest girls had sat uninterested on the porch playing with their dolls, but after the first crack of the ball against the bat, the girls jumped up begging to learn.

"Girls don’t play baseball," Wade informed his sister. "Only boys can play."

Ella began to pout, and Scarlett recognized the beginnings of a tantrum in her youngest.

"Wade, you will discover someday that there are some things that people say girls shouldn’t do, but they can actually do them better than boys," Rhett replied as he showed Ella how to hold the bat.

"Like what?" Wade eyed him suspiciously.

Rhett looked up from what he was doing, and Scarlett saw him scan the porch for her. With a nod of his head, Rhett responded, "Ask your mother, son. She is one of the greatest ladies I've ever known."

Scarlett blushed from the porch where she, Carreen, and Suellen all watched Rhett play with the children. She shifted in her seat and ignored Suellen's grunt. Between Rhett's compliment and the scene before her, Scarlett's head was spinning.

Each of the children took a turn swinging after the ball — swing after swing. Whoever wasn't swinging helped Rhett retrieve the ball, but still, when the kids finally tired of their game, Rhett’s shirt was soaked through in places, accentuating the muscles in his chest and arms. The spectacle of Rhett's sleeves rolled up along his muscular arms and his shirt buttons undone exposing parts of his chest made her ache to touch him.

The memory of his skin on her made her blush, and panic seized her, as Suellen and Carreen directed the children inside to cut Wade's birthday cake, made especially by Dilcey. Scarlett stood on the porch as Rhett gathered abandoned toys. Tossing them on the porch, he walked up to Scarlett. She could smell the warmth of his body and found herself flushing once more.

"Would it be too much to ask for a glass of water before I go, Scarlett?" he grinned.

Scarlett nodded and promptly kissed him on his sweaty cheek before ducking into the house. Rhett followed her into the house as they made their way to the dining room, where the children's happy cries could be heard. Dilcey had just brought Wade's cake in, and the children were beside themselves with anticipation. As Dilcey sliced the cake, Suellen and Carreen passed out the pieces to first the children and then the adults.

Scarlett's eyes followed Rhett as he took his piece and left the room. When she found him, he was standing in front of the risque, but battered portrait of her grandmother Solange, silently eating the cake while studying the painting with a curious look on his face.

"That's my Mother's mother, Grandma Robillard," Scarlett whispered, somewhat unnecessarily.

Rhett nodded and turned to Scarlett, "Did you ever discover who Phillipe was?"

"No, my aunts didn't want to talk about it," Scarlett replied, "but Rhett I know I've heard the name somewhere, and I simply cannot remember where I've -"

"Miss Scarlett, I'm going to bring Mammy a piece of cake," Dilcey proposed, but Scarlett did not hear the rest of the sentence.

Dilcey. Mammy. Philippe.

Swaying slightly, Rhett caught her elbow to steady her.

"Scarlett is something wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." Rhett held her tightly.

"I know," Scarlett whispered, staring at the portrait of her grandmother for a moment before turning to exit the room. She repeated, "I know."

The anxiety and exhaustion she had experienced had erased many memories of that horrible day, but nothing would obliterate the grief and hopelessness that Scarlett felt upon her return to Tara as Atlanta fell to the Yankees. Her mother was dead. Her father was out of his mind with grief. Suellen and Carreen were still deathly ill. The cotton was razed to the ground by the departing Yankees. The unknown name Philippe had completely slipped her mind when other more pressing matters had surfaced. As she recalled the snatches of the conversation with Mammy and Dilcey, Scarlett could picture Mammy's expression. Mammy had expected her to forget the conversation, but Scarlett was confident, Mammy was the only one who could answer the question: why was her Mother calling out for another man on her deathbed?

Picking up the front of her dress, Scarlett climbed the stairs as quickly as she could. Mammy had refused to talk to her, beyond simple pleasantries when they occasionally met, since her arrival after Christmas. As she hurried to Mammy's room, Scarlett was determined to make the woman talk.

Flinging the door open, Scarlett demanded, "Mammy, who is Philippe Robillard?"

If Mammy was surprised at the intrusion into her room, she didn't show it.

"I don't know any Philippe, Miz Scarlett."

"Yes, you do, Mammy," Scarlett insisted, walking to the chair where Mammy sat and knelt before the old woman. "I clearly remember the night I returned to Tara, you and Dilcey telling me that mother called out his name before she died."

"I don't remember, Miz Scarlett."

"Yes, you do, Mammy. Rhett's sister-in-law mentioned a nasty rumor about Mother and this Philippe, and when I tried to ask both Aunt Pauline and Aunt Eulalie afterward, they refused to say anything. I need to know who he is, Mammy," Scarlett begged, taking hold of Mammy's wrinkled hand and pressing it to her cheek. "Please."

Scarlett laid her head across Mammy's legs and felt the familiar loving hand stroke her hair.

"Miz Ellen forgive me - - Philippe Robillard was Ellen's cousin. He was a wild boy," Mammy began, slowly. "Philippe drank, played cards, and trouble always found dat boy." Mammy paused. "And my Ellen fell in love wit' him."

"In love?" Scarlett lifted her head to stare at Mammy.

"Love? Lust? Ellen know no difference; she was only fourteen. What she know?"

Oh God, Scarlett thought to herself.

"What happened, Mammy?" Scarlett implored the older woman.

"Ellen was in love and tole your grandfather that she was going to marry dat boy. Your grandfather refused, and Philippe was sent 'way. Went out west, we thought but then came dat letter from a priest to say he dead in a fight. I was afraid for my lamb, but then she up and announced she would marry your Pa and off we went. It was marrying your Pa or the convent. She hate your grandfather."

Scarlett could hardly swallow as she asked, "Mammy, did Mother love Pa?"

Mammy nodded her head, "Yes, after some time, but she never got over Philippe."

"How do you know, Mammy?"

"Cuz, the woman you saw, was nothing like the young girl I raised in Savannah. No spark. No fire. Just sad."

But that couldn't be, Scarlett thought to herself as her gaze fell across the room. Her mother had to love Pa and Ellen had been happy, Scarlett reassured herself. Mammy must be wrong. Although when Scarlett tried to recall her mother's expressions, all she remembered were aloof, cold eyes. It was hard to recall precise moments of happiness in her mother's life.

"Just like you."

Scarlett jerked her head up to look at Mammy. And at that moment, the realization slapped Scarlett in the face. Just like her mother. All of her love had gone to Ashley and not to her children or husbands. No, not husbands, just Rhett. Ellen had had no more love to give anyone after Philippe died. She went through the motions but had stopped living. Undoubtedly, Scarlett and her sisters had been well taken care of, but any love had come from Gerald, or Mammy, certainly not from her Mother. Had Scarlett not done the same thing to her children and husband?

Scarlett was grateful that she was no longer interested in Ashley the way she had been but she wondered if her mother had cheated herself out of true happiness because Philippe died before she could learn who he really was. Ellen had gone through life loving and remembering a man who she had loved at 15. Did she even really understand what love was? Did her mother ever realize that what she felt for Philippe was not love? Had Ellen noticed her own daughter's infatuation? Her mother, in hindsight, had made herself unhappy. Was the unhappiness from knowing that she had hurt a man who was more than willing to give her his entire being or that she had clung too long to a man that was more fantasy than reality? Had Gerald been the great love of her life and she died not knowing it?

Scarlett's head pounded when she thought of her father's downward spiral after Ellen's death. Had he known about Philippe? Had he known and heard his wife cry out another man's name?

Had she missed all the same signs? Made many of the same mistakes? Was she throwing away happiness still?

Hearing a creak behind her, Scarlett looked up and realized that Rhett had heard the entire conversation. Lifting herself off the floor, she walked past Rhett and headed towards the staircase. Ignoring Rhett's calls and avoiding her family, Scarlett walked past the kitchen and out the back door, not knowing her final destination but comprehending that she couldn't talk to Rhett at that moment.

"Scarlett! Scarlett!"

Scarlett sped up but Rhett was able to quickly overtake her. Reaching out to take her elbow, Scarlett swung around and shouted, "You are a bastard, Rhett Butler!"

"What did I do?"

"You knew this would happen?"

Rhett crossed his arms in front of him. "How am I to blame for this?"

"You must have known the story. Why would you keep this from me?"

Rhett uncrossed his arms and took a step towards her. Scarlett recoiled back, but Rhett was quicker and he grabbed her arms so she couldn't run away from him.

"Scarlett, I had no idea who Philippe was."

"I don't believe you," she said, struggling to free herself.

"Scarlett, I didn't know your mother or this young man, so how would I -"

"You must have heard this story from my aunts or your Mother -"

Rhett shook his head. "Scarlett, if your aunts and my mother were talking about Ellen, I certainly knew nothing about it. I was too busy being a wild sixteen-year-old boy to notice and shortly after I left my father's house. I assure you that I didn't know."

Scarlett could not stop the sob from escaping her body. "My mother loved someone else the entire time she was married to my father, Rhett. She must have known how I felt about Ashley. Why didn't she say anything? Warn me?"

"Maybe your Mother didn't -"

"I made the same mistakes as my mother, Rhett. I threw away my own happiness for a man who never loved me. It's too late, Rhett."

Rhett released his grip on her shoulders and his arms went around her body drawing her to his chest. She buried her head in his chest as the tears fell.

"Let's both stop making mistakes, Scarlett. It doesn't have to be too late for us."

Rhett said nothing more but continued to hold her until the tears dried on her face. Scarlett thought she was no closer to a decision until Rhett departed later that afternoon.

Scarlett noticed that Rhett did not want to leave and for the first time in a long time, she didn't want him to leave either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Generations of readers have asked themselves why they love Scarlett and IMO part of the answer lies in her love of home, family, and the responsibility she feels for both. I don't know if Rhett was ever capable of understanding this about her, so we need to bring Mr. Butler to Tara for him to make the connection.
> 
> Scarlett doesn't have the greatest role models when it comes to marriage and love. Ellen seems withdrawn and her father seems too boisterous. Are both of her parents hiding behind the truths they know?
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked, or left a Kudo for this story.


	15. Reinventing Twelve Oaks

For the next several weeks, in between his visits, it took all of Rhett's determination not to wonder how Scarlett was doing every minute of the day. The knowledge of who Philippe Robillard was and the connection to her mother, had forced his wife to seriously consider her own actions; he could see it in her eyes every time he left Scarlett standing on the porch at her formally beloved Tara.

Rhett believed, however, that Scarlett did not have to end up as her mother had: haunted by her choices as a young girl and calling out for another man in the end.

Scarlett, as time passed, seemed to be finally recognizing the obvious: that every week he kept going to Tara to see her and the children. It wasn't about bringing her the account books for the store but to show her that he had not meant those words on the night of Melly's death and that he was trying to make amends for every misstep since.

Holding his wife, on the afternoon of Wade's birthday, as she cried in his arms had nearly weakened his resolve not to push the issue of their marriage. Rhett was waiting for Scarlett to acknowledge his commitment to their marriage and come home. It was just taking Scarlett a little longer than he expected it would. He hadn't helped the situation much but it seemed that the revelations about her mother had further softened Scarlett's attitude to him in the weeks that followed.

Though nothing had been said, Rhett guessed that Scarlett knew that he still wanted her. In the quiet of his hotel room, his thoughts were of Scarlett. Her coquettish smile. Her twinkling eyes. Lately, he had taken to watching whenever Scarlett walked away. He stood there watching the sway of the hips and tried to remember the last time he had been with a woman. The one walking in front of him was driving him to distraction. It had been too long since he had been in her bed. The night of Ashley's party hardly counted. Rhett could recall that intimacy between them only during their honeymoon, and even that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted more. He wanted all of her. Scarlett's mind. Scarlett's heart. Scarlett's love. Scarlett's future.

As he went about his daily business in Atlanta, including checking in on Scarlett's, Rhett wondered if he shouldn't give his wife a gentle nudge in the direction he suspected she wanted to go in. Scarlett was likely still in some denial over how she felt about him. Her anger towards him had abated since Christmas, but perhaps, Rhett thought to himself, she was expecting him to make the first move.

That's precisely what he would do, Rhett decided, but Scarlett would likely need more time before she would be inclined to take him back. He would study her closely and make a move when it was an opportune time. Rushing Scarlett to a reconciliation could be disastrous. There was too much at stake if he hurried things.

Spring was in full bloom when Rhett arrived at Tara on a seasonably warm April morning with more than just the usual gifts, including a white lace christening gown for the newest Benteen girl born just the month before. Will said nothing, but when Scarlett saw the trunks being unloaded from Will's carriage, she peered at him suspiciously.

"What's the meaning of this, Rhett?" Scarlett asked, gesturing at the trunks that were being unloaded with the help of her brother-in-law and Pork.

"It's most of my clothing and books, and of course, my cigars."

"Why?"

He could try to be amusing, but Rhett imagined it was time to be serious. "Scarlett, I'm tired of traveling back and forth between Tara and Atlanta every week. I want to spend more time with my wife and my children and not be bound by a damn train schedule."

Scarlett's eyes narrowed. "Rhett, I thought I made myself clear - - when I told you - - that I - - didn't want you here," she stuttered.

Rhett watched Scarlett stubbornly cross her arms in front of her chest and frown. Maybe he had misunderstood his wife once again but her words, just now, had been uncertain and half-hearted. There was nothing he could do but plow through.

"Then explain to me why you look as excited as Wade and Ella, to see me each week? Or why you look so sad when I leave? And don't think I don't notice these things," Rhett retorted, stepping up to join her on the front step. "And don't lie to me."

"I don’t need to explain myself to anyone! You can go to Halifax, Rhett Butler!"

Scarlett stormed off into the house, and then he heard the back door slam behind her. Suellen appeared at the door and stared at him and then his trunks.

"Leave them there, Captain Butler. Pork will bring them up to Scarlett's room later - or the back porch judging by my dear sister's reaction," Suellen dead-paned.

"Please, I insist that you call me Rhett. We are family after all." Rhett smiled at her.

Before Scarlett moved herself and the children to Tara, Rhett had only properly met Suellen once, at Bonnie's funeral, and knew next to nothing about the middle O'Hara child. The visits in Charleston and traveling with Scarlett's youngest sister meant he knew Carreen only slightly better. He had never accompanied Scarlett to Tara during their marriage, especially once he and Scarlett had stopped sharing a bedroom. An awkward situation at home with constant bickering between them would have invited disaster had he followed Scarlett to the country. There was a part of him that strongly suspected that Scarlett was not particularly close to her sisters though his wife was prideful enough not to want anyone to see the state of her marriage. It would not have withstood the test.

"Your sister is mighty stubborn, Suellen," Rhett declared instead.

Although he did not know Suellen very well, he could see that both O'Hara women were strong and stubborn and hurting. Suellen put up the same walls Scarlett did, walls which kept people from knowing or hurting them. He should know, Rhett thought to himself, he had been doing the same thing for years with Scarlett. He was still doing it.

Wiping her hands on her apron, Suellen responded, "She's more reasonable now. You should have seen her when we were children."

Suellen turned to go back inside, and Rhett walked around the back of the house and could see Scarlett in the distance stalking off on foot in a huff. He followed her but kept a reasonable distance between them. Where was she going?

Being unfamiliar with the property, it didn't dawn on him until he stumbled on the ruins, that she had escaped to the site where Twelve Oaks had once stood. Scarlett sat on the stump of a tree that had once overlooked the vast, now destroyed house, staring at a home that was no longer standing.

As Rhett took a step closer towards her, a twig snapped under his foot, and her head jerked towards the noise. Surprise turned to anger as he moved closer to her.

"Please, leave me alone, Rhett. I don't want to talk to you or see you right now."

"Scarlett, tell me what I need to do to prove to you that I want to be with you. I'm out of ideas. I inform you that I want to be a husband to you and a father to our children, and what do you do? You run to Ashley’s Wilkes' home."

"You are a fool, Rhett Butler. Not that it is any of your business, but I come here because it reminds me of Melly."

Scarlett turned away from him, and he could see by her profile that her expression had softened.

"Melly should have been the mistress of this house, Rhett," she whispered. "Beau should have gotten married here. Melly should have grown old sitting on that porch."

Rhett approached Scarlett and sat on a nearby stump, smoothing the front of his pants waiting for Scarlett to continue.

"I miss her, Rhett."

Rhett could see her eyes mist with tears.

"I know, Scarlett," Rhett replied. "I do too."

Scarlett said nothing for a few moments and then murmured, "Rhett?"

"Yes?"

"I'm not sure what to do anymore?"

"About?"

"About us. About everything. I came home to Tara to try to figure out my life, but Tara doesn’t feel like my home anymore. It belongs to Suellen and Will and the girls. I'm not sure where I belong anymore."

"That's not entirely true, Scarlett, is it? At least not since you arrived here after Christmas." Rhett got up and walked towards her. When he stood in front of her, he reached out his hand and helped her to her feet. "You belong with me, Scarlett. You know it. I know it. Hell, everyone knows it."

"I do?"

Rhett ignored Scarlett's sneer. In place of a response, he pulled Scarlett hesitantly into his embrace and was surprised when she did not push him away.

"Let me begin with a glaring omission, Scarlett. The truth is that I have loved you for far longer than I am willing to admit. Just when I first fell in love with you," Rhett shrugged, pulling her more firmly into his arms. "but sometime during the war, I found myself unequivocally in love with you.

"The war?"

"The war? That day at Twelve Oaks? What does it matter? The truth is that I have been in love with you for years but instead of telling you, I hid my true feelings from you." Burying his nose in her black hair, Rhett took in the lemon verbena scent that was Scarlett. "I promise to be faithful to you, but I need to be your husband in every way. It needs to be just the two of us in this marriage.”

He slowly leaned in to kiss her neck gently, delicately nibbling along her jawline.

Scarlett gasped, "Rhett, what are you -"

Scarlett's words died on her lips as Rhett stole a sudden kiss.

"Scarlett, I love you," he whispered, as one hand shifted from her hip to her chin. "I love you."

Scarlett instinctually leaned into his hand, even as she protested, "Not here, Rhett."

"Why not?"

Teasing her lips, he pushed his tongue in and out of her mouth as his hands deftly unbuttoned the front of her dress. When enough of her chemise and corset were exposed, he pushed the materials aside.

"Rhett, someone might -"

"No one will see us, Scarlett," he murmured, hoarse with pleasure.

"You love me?"

"Yes, I do. Very much."

Rhett pressed his lips softly against hers and was surprised when Scarlett writhed against his erection. Her eyes widened in surprise, and he held her tightly against him to prevent her escape.

"We are doing nothing wrong, Scarlett," Rhett said, kissing her again. Looking down into her green orbs, he saw his lust reflected in her eyes, and he was thrilled that for the first time in their entire marriage, they were going to experience a pleasure that had been denied to them for so long.

Rhett ended the kiss abruptly and then in a swift movement, guided her towards a nearby tree until Scarlett's back was pressed against the rough bark.

"Scarlett?"

Nodding her head, she whispered, "Yes."

"Do you love me?"

Scarlett nodded her answer.

Rhett leaned forward and captured one of her hardened nipples between his teeth, as Scarlett's hands traveled in his hair, pulling him closer. His gentle nip was not enough to satisfy him, and after a leisurely lick, he sucked her nipple back into his greedy mouth. His free hand found her other breast and his fingers quickly flicked the tiny hardened nub. Scarlett whimpered at the loss of contact when he duplicated the process with her other breast. Rhett could feel her body writhing against him in pleasure and after a few minutes, he began to wonder how far his wife would let him take this.

"Let me alter any memories you may have of this place, Scarlett," Rhett mumbled, his hand grasping the fabric of her dress and hitching it up to her waist.

Scarlett's head fell back against the truck, and Rhett drew in his breath as she panted her acceptance. When Rhett's fingers made contact with the wet warmth between her legs, he watched as her eyes shut tightly. He slid one finger in her expertly and felt her jerk her hips against him. A cry escaped her lips as he curled his finger, confident that he had hit the spot he'd been thinking about during the last few weeks.

"My God, Rhett," he heard her gasp as he added a second finger. His erection was straining against his pants as he slid his fingers in and out of her body.

Scarlett adjusted the spread of her legs as his fingers moved within her. A lusty moan escaped her lips when he slid his thumb across her swollen bud. She moved her hands to his shirt, grabbing the material, needing to steady herself somehow.

His erection twitched painfully as he watched Scarlett’s mouth fall open, and her eyes roll back. Her body arched into him as he felt her muscles tighten around his slick fingers. Scarlett screamed her release, and Rhett continued his movements, hoping to lengthen her pleasure. When Scarlett had recovered slightly from her orgasm, Rhett slid his fingers out of her.

He quietly watched her, her breasts enticingly rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath, her eyes still tightly closed. Opening her eyes, Scarlett blushed, and Rhett was surprised to feel her small hands fall to his trousers, fumbling with the buttons. He reached down to still her hands.

"Mrs. Butler?"

"Please, Rhett," her voice heavy with rare arousal.

Hearing his wife plead for more caused him to groan deeply. Rhett closed his eyes, imagining laying her down on the grass or Scarlett straddling him, clenched around him.

"I want to make love with you, Scarlett," he inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm himself, "in your childhood bed - tonight."

Rhett felt Scarlett's small hand fit into his, linking their fingers together, before she inquired, "Is that a promise?"

It took all Rhett's willpower not to change his mind and make love to Scarlett at that moment. Scarlett's downward glance at the noticeable bulge in his pants and the shy smile that reached her lips drove him insane, but he was willing to postpone his pleasure to ensure his wife's. It would all be worth it later that night. How he was going to make it through the rest of the day was the problem.

With Scarlett's hand firmly in his, they strolled back across the fields to Tara, talking about the children, avoiding a discussion of what had just transpired between them. Rhett was fully aware that occasional difficulties would need to be faced, but for now, he was happy just having Scarlett beside him.

When they arrived back at Tara, all of the children were outside playing while Suellen and Carreen supervised from the porch. Will stood off to the side of the house, his gaze on the fields before him. Rhett wondered, based on everything Scarlett had told him about Suellen's husband, whether he thought about anything but the farm.

For a few minutes, Rhett stood with Scarlett and Will, as they discussed the land, the problems Will faced in hiring workers and planting new fields that had lain dormant since the war. It was evident that both Scarlett and Will were passionate about the land, and Rhett knew that Scarlett was still fixated on the idea of restoring Tara from a small farm to the glory it had once had. Rhett doubted that it was possible given the new labor contracts, but he refrained from commenting on what he thought was obvious. Scarlett had made things possible that other people had failed at.

"I want to make Pa proud," Scarlett told Will, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of longing and the aftermath of their time at Twelve Oaks.

"Scarlett, darling, from what I have seen, I think your father would be immensely proud of what you and Will have accomplished in such a short time," Rhett replied honestly.

"Do you think so, Rhett?" Scarlett implored.

"Did you ever meet Mr. O'Hara?" Will inquired.

"Scarlett, didn't tell you?" Rhett winked at his wife. "I only met him on two occasions - once on the day the war broke out and," Rhett hesitated for a moment before continuing, "and once more after Scarlett and I caused a bit of an uproar in Atlanta."

"Uproar!" Scarlett cried, "You almost ruined my reputation and nearly caused me to have to return home to Tara, Rhett."

Rhett smirked. "Let's just say that I spent a fascinating evening with the man," Rhett explained to Will as Scarlett huffed in mock disbelief. "Gerald explained to me that he had won Tara in a card game many years before. I was enjoying a hand of cards with him, and I could see that he was a very talented player -"

"And if I'm not mistaken, Rhett Butler, he lost $500 to you," Scarlett interrupted.

"That was the liquor, Scarlett," Rhett replied, trying not to laugh.

Scarlett looked at him skeptically for a moment before asking, "Really, Rhett?"

"Perhaps."

"Rhett was that," Scarlett asked, looking briefly at Will, who was somewhat confused having probably never heard how the evening ended, "was that all an act?"

"You wound me, Scarlett," Rhett responded in mock anger.

"It was."

"It would appear that Gerald liked me," Rhett shrugged.

"And here I thought -"

"That you had manipulated your father into allowing you to stay in Atlanta," Rhett interrupted, chuckling.

"Well, fiddle dee dee, Rhett!" Scarlett exclaimed as he and Will laughed beside her.

* * *

Night fell quickly over Tara. Wade and Ella were exceedingly delighted when Rhett told them that he would not be returning to Atlanta on the last train. Carreen excused herself after their evening meal, and Suellen, with the assistance of Prissy, had overseen the bedtime routine for the children. Will eventually excused himself, announcing an early start the next morning.

Scarlett sat in her chair by the fire, pretending to read her Godey Lady Book, but Rhett knew that all she had accomplished for the last half hour was to covertly stare at him. Lifting his eyes from the book he was reading, their eyes met.

"Are you ready to retire, Scarlett?" he asked, watching her pretend to yawn.

"Yes, Rhett. Are you going to - I mean will you be -"

"I won't be long, Scarlett," he said. "I'd like to finish this chapter, and then I will join you."

Scarlett set aside her magazine and smiled at him before she rose to her feet. "Please, don't be too long, Rhett." Rhett watched her bite her lips in an attempt to suppress her smile before she moved upstairs.

He lowered his eyes to his book and chuckled as he realized he had been reading the same sentence all night. Scarlett wasn't the only one who was struggling to contain her anticipation.

After waiting what he thought was enough time for Prissy to help Scarlett prepare for bed, Rhett proceeded up the stairs and towards her room. He gently pushed open the door to find that Scarlett had changed out of her day dress and was standing in front of a mirror, but had yet to pull her nightdress on. Rhett's breath caught as his eyes hungrily wandered over her body; it had been so long since he had seen her in this state of undress.

Taking a deep breath, Rhett moved entirely into the room, causing the door to creak shut, alerting Scarlett to his presence. Her eyes darted up and met his through the mirror, as her hands flew up to cover her pert breasts.

He knew that Scarlett would have no problem reading the expression on his face, but he needed to reassure her. "Scarlett, you are so beautiful." The lust in his voice was apparent.

"Rhett, I didn't hear you come in." Reaching for the wrapper draped across the back of her chair, Scarlett covered herself hastily, and Rhett sighed in resignation.

"Scarlett, I can sleep elsewhere if -"

"And have Suellen say something nasty to me about us not sharing a bed," Scarlett snapped.

"Damn it, Scarlett!" Rhett tried to keep his voice down. "Why do you care so much about what anyone else thinks? I'll sleep elsewhere. Goodnight."

Rhett turned to leave, upset that he had reacted as he had. The last thing he wanted to do was leave but he wasn't surprised at how quickly they had reverted back to snapping at each other. His hand was on the doorknob as he heard Scarlett's plea, "Please stay, Rhett. I want you to sleep here."

"On the floor?" Rhett asked irritably as he turned back to her.

Scarlett stood before him biting her lip. "No."

Rhett sighed and stepped towards her. He hadn't realized that he'd been holding his breath.

Scarlet sat on the edge of the bed and muttered, "Oh, Rhett."

Sitting beside her on the bed, he tried to memorize the shape of her face, the shade of green of her eyes, the curve of her lips, but then he realized that he didn't need to. Those images were already a part of him.

"I shouldn't have reacted like that, Scarlett, it's only that -" Rhett chuckled, shaking his. "God, Scarlett, Mammy was right. We are two stubborn mules."

"You can sleep here with me, Rhett, but stay on your side of the bed," Scarlett teased.

"I have no intention of returning to your bed once more unless it's to be a husband to you, Scarlett." Despite knowing it was the wrong thing to do, Rhett stood, moving away from the bed. "I thought that things had changed this afternoon."

"Rhett, it's just - it's just that -"

"What is it, Scarlett? Please explain what's going on because frankly, I'm tired of trying so goddamn hard to show you how I feel."

"Well, Rhett, I never liked the idea of marital relations," Scarlett announced, her eyes focused on her lap. "It was made to sound shameful and something I had to endure because my husbands wanted it. And I didn't enjoy it with either Charlie or Frank, but -"

Rhett stared at her in amazement. It had never crossed his mind that Scarlett's upbringing and first experiences had impacted her so profoundly. He had desired her from the first time he had laid eyes on her, and while Scarlett was an incorrigible flirt, she obviously did not feel the same way.

"I wanted to be held and kissed and loved until that night."

"That night?" Rhett swallowed hard.

"A lady couldn't possibly enjoy any of those things we did, and then  
you were different after that night. I was afraid of what you thought about me," Scarlett admitted.

Here was the woman he had courted and dreamed about for years. While Rhett had suspected that Scarlett did not enjoy marital relations, he never fully understood her reasons. His abrupt departure after that wild night, when he wanted to protect himself, had harmed his wife. He was such a fool. His reaction had prevented her from admitting even to herself that she had enjoyed their lovemaking.

"You enjoyed that night?"

Scarlett nodded.

"This afternoon?"

Scarlett hesitated but nodded again.

"It also didn't help that I told you more than once that I married you only for your body." Rhett expected no response and didn't wait for one. "I was so angry when you told me you didn't want me in your bed. I felt like I'd been cheated out of something. I was still so deeply in love with you, but I couldn't let you know how much that hurt," Rhett admitted.

For so long, he told himself he stayed in the marriage because of Bonnie, but the truth was that he still loved Scarlett. Even though she had reneged on the deal they had made when they married, Rhett realized that the very notion of an agreement meant they were bound to fail.

"I'm afraid, Rhett." Her words startled him out of his thoughts. "I'm afraid of what happens if we fail again. I don't think I can go through that again. Can you? What about Wade and Ella? What if this marriage is too complicated for us to fix it?"

The woman in front of him was more complicated than he had ever realized, but her honesty at that moment stirred him.

"Scarlett, I'm terrified of what happens next but especially the thought of losing you." Rhett brought up one hand to cup her chin while his thumb caressed her jawline. "You have me completely, Scarlett. Let me prove it to you. Everyday."

Rhett felt her delicate hands curl into the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer to her. Lowering his lips to hers, he kissed her, hoping that the long, slow kiss they shared was expressing every word he could not voice.

"You still want me to stay on my side of the bed, Scarlett?"

His blood pounded in his ears as her arms reached around his neck, her fingers twisting the hair against his neck. Rhett's arm tightened around her waist as her mouth opened against his, and her warm tongue met his.

Stepping away from Scarlett, Rhett kicked off his shoes, grateful that he had removed his jacket and tie before their evening meal. As he moved to unbutton his shirt, Scarlett startled him by reaching for the waistband of his trousers.

"Well, Rhett, try your best."

She glanced at him momentarily, uncertainty in her eyes, and then began to undo his pants, as he resumed the task of removing his shirt. When Rhett was free of his clothes, Scarlett quickly glanced at his aroused manhood before looking away, embarrassed by her curiosity.

Closing the distance between them, Rhett lowered his lips to her throat as he reached for the tie of her wrapper. Groaning slightly against her neck, Rhett cupped her breasts through her wrapper, making Scarlett arch her body seductively against him. He tugged the wrapper loose and watched it cascade around her shoulders before it slid down the length of her exquisite body. As her pale breasts were revealed to him, she moved to cover herself, but he stopped her.

"No, Scarlett, there's no need. You are beautiful." For a moment, Rhett thought she would disagree with him.

Returning his attention to her neck, Rhett's lips traveled down to the hollow of her neck, causing Scarlett to moan and whisper his name. While his lips were focused on her skin, his hand found her breast, fondling and caressing one before he took an erect nipple between his teeth. She hissed his name loudly when he circled it hungrily with his tongue as his thumb brushed over her other nipple mimicking the motions of his tongue with his fingers.

Rhett released her nipple from his mouth with a soft pop and, holding her willing body to his, kissed her, delighted when she returned his kiss. He captured her tongue with his mouth and sucked it gently before using his own tongue to explore her mouth. A deep moan in Scarlett's throat caused his manhood to throb in a painful response.

Breaking the kiss to look at her, Rhett searched her eyes for permission to continue. Scarlett nodded silently and pushing her back until the bedpost was against her back, Rhett knelt at Scarlett's feet. Holding her gaze, he kissed her stomach briefly before his mouth moved towards its destination.

"I love you, Scarlett."

Rhett heard her sharp intake of breath, wondering if she had ever imagined that this bedpost would do more than support her as Mammy or Prissy laced her into her corsets. He inhaled her musky scent as he nuzzled his nose at the juncture of her legs. His eyes returning to hers, he lifted Scarlett's leg over his shoulder and watched as her arms reached above her head to steady herself against the bedpost. How many times had she held onto it to get laced into her corsets? This would undoubtedly be a first for her.

With this angle, Scarlett was fully exposed to him. Still, with his eyes on her, using his fingers to spread her folds, he ran his finger along the wet length of her. She moaned deeply and whispered his name, fighting to keep her eyes on him. He saw a flicker of embarrassment in her eyes, and then a frown appeared on her face as he moved his fingers away. He grinned before returning his attention to her and slipping one finger easily inside of her wet, tight warmth. Scarlett's hands flew from the bedpost to grab his head and lacing her fingers through his hair she pulled him to her. The first finger was joined by a second stroking her continuously until her hips bucked against him. He felt her muscles clench around him, and he fought to ignore the pain throbbing of his own body as he watched her thrust against his skillful fingers.

"Oh, yes, Rhett!" She finished in one last, long, shuddering, "Ohhhhh!"

And as her body continued to rock against his fingers as her orgasm subsided, her head shaking frantically, Rhett let his mouth close over her neglected nub, sucking her greedily into his mouth. He felt her leg give way slightly, but she used his body to hold herself up. His tongue continued to flick and lick around her until he saw her jerk, her head forward, and meet his eyes again. Her lips parted, and a low moan escaped her lips, and then he felt a long shudder take over her body, her hips continuing to buck against him silently demanding more.

Rhett wasted no time in getting to his feet and pressed his body against hers. He was eager to feel her pert breasts against his chest and his erection ensconced between their sweaty bodies.

He kissed her passionately once again until they were both breathing heavily. And then Rhett broke their embrace to pick her up in his arms and carry her to the bed, where he laid Scarlett gently on the bed and watched her legs open in silent invitation.

Looking down at his wife, he saw that her green eyes had darkened with lust, and her lips were swollen from his kisses and her attempts to quiet her cries. His gaze fell to her chest, her breasts rising and falling. Every curve of her waist and hip and legs was tantalizing. Rhett unsuccessfully swallowed a groan before looking back into Scarlett's eyes.

Climbing slowly onto the bed, Rhett crawled over to her until he was above her. He shifted her hips forward and nestled his hips between her thighs. Grasping his erection, he guided the tip of his length to her opening. Slipping partway inside, he stopped.

"Do you know how much I love you, Scarlett?" he asked, unaware that he was holding his breath. "I always have."

Scarlett smiled, "I love you, Rhett."

Rhett let his breath out. He could feel her muscles already straining to pull him deeper. With a single thrust, he entered her, and Rhett felt her legs snake around his hips, pulling him closer as she began to move her hips against him.

Leaning forward, he found her lips before he pulled back and then thrust back in. They quickly found their rhythm, Rhett thrusting in and out while Scarlett raised her hips to meet each thrust. Adjusting the angle of his movements, Rhett listened as her moans deepened with the added stimulation, her muscles tightened around him deliciously. He couldn't stop himself from focusing on the fact that the woman beneath him was not some faceless whore but the only woman that he had loved and loved for years. It wasn't long before Rhett felt her climax coming. Feeling himself begin to lose control, it took Rhett a few more, faster thrusts until Scarlett constricted around him.

As a scream left her lips, which Rhett managed to mostly muffle with his lips, he felt himself freeze and shudder, spilling his seed within Scarlett. He slumped on her and felt both their bodies collapse into the mattress. Rhett withdrew from her body, fully aware of her groan of disapproval. He lay on his back and gathered Scarlett in his arms. She was breathing as hard as he was, and for an instant, he doubted himself.

When he felt Scarlett place a gentle kiss on his chest, Rhett pulled the sheets up to cover both their bodies. He heard her sigh, and this time, Rhett knew who she was thinking of at that moment. The room smelled of sweat and sex, something he had missed with her. For an instant, he wondered what the next morning would bring, and hoped that this perfect moment, so rare in their former life, could last forever. No matter what happened in the future, Rhett knew that he loved her, and she returned the feeling. Wrapped around each other, he knew he wanted to live out the rest of his days in her arms.

Drawing her hair across his face, Rhett wrapped her hair around his neck.

"Rhett?"

"Mmm," he grumbled.

"Why do you do that, Rhett?"

As sleep claimed him, an honest answer slipped past his lips, "It's something only I can do with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thoughts on Ellen are complex. I don't think she was a happy, satisfied woman. I think she loved Gerald and her children but was often going through the motions of life. Her last words are also problematic and tragic.
> 
> Every fan of GWtW has a thought on "that night," and IMO Scarlett was always so concerned about being like her mother (a lady) that she couldn't enjoy sex until "that night" when she wasn't in control. Her disastrous and uncomfortable experiences before Rhett also did not help. Poor Scarlett! I thought she should have another opportunity to enjoy herself but Rhett needed to be fully aware of Scarlett's anxieties. In writing this chapter I also began to wonder about Rhett. How do you have sex with someone you love but have to pretend you don’t? I'm not sure how Rhett managed that until the separate bedroom incident.
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked, or left a Kudo for this story.


	16. The Seeds of Discord

Sometime after she and Rhett had succumbed to their exhaustion, Scarlett had been startled out of her sleep. In her dream, she had awoken to find herself alone in her bed. Rhett was nowhere to be seen; he'd left her again. A cool breeze came through the open window, and she could see a flicker of a cigar becoming dimmer and dimmer as it moved further away. Suddenly, the light went out, and Scarlett's eyes fluttered open.

Breathing deeply, she shifted her body and immediately felt Rhett's arms pull her tightly to his body. She nestled herself into his arms and realized that she had been dreaming. Unlike in the past, she was confident that in the morning, she would open her eyes, and Rhett would be beside her. Scarlett didn't know what she attributed this realization to but something felt different. Neither one of them would awake to regret any words that were exchanged or the intimacy of the night before.

Before opening her eyes, as the sun began streaming into the room, the first thing Scarlett realized the next morning was that she had been correct; Rhett was still asleep beside her. His arm was wrapped possessively around her, and she wasn't sure she could wiggle free of his embrace without waking him.

The second thing Scarlett was aware of was the infectious smile that she couldn't hide. She muffled a giggle into her pillow and momentarily burrowed deeper into Rhett's arms.

Easing herself from under the weight of Rhett's heavy limbs, Scarlett quickly located a nightgown and her discarded wrapper from the night before. She would quietly sneak downstairs and hope that Dilcey had breakfast ready so that she could bring up a tray to surprise Rhett with. In the early part of their marriage, and certainly during their honeymoon, Rhett had often treated her to breakfast in bed. Today, she wanted to return the favor.

The moment Scarlett wandered into the dining room, she saw that Suellen and Carreen were seated at the table, and it appeared that Will had eaten and was already out working the fields.

"Good morning," Scarlett said brightly.

Carreen mumbled her greeting and looked down instantly into her coffee. Suellen stared at her without speaking, obviously annoyed at some transgression judging by her expression.

"What is it, Suellen?" Scarlett asked. She was not going to let Suellen's foul attitude spoil her own good mood. "It's too early to figure out what could possibly be irritating you."

"Scarlett, I've opened my home to you and your children and husband, but it would be nice if you would be more considerate of others sharing this roof with you," Suellen snapped.

Looking at Carreen in confusion, Scarlett noticed that her younger sister would not meet her gaze.

"Firstly, this is my home as much as it is yours," Scarlett replied to Suellen, "and secondly when have I been inconsiderate to you or anyone in this home _lately_?"

Suellen squared her shoulders and retorted, "If you haven't noticed, I have a newborn, and what with the baby being up most of the night in need of feeding and -" Suellen paused, seemingly searching for the correct words, "all the commotion you caused late last night, I'm exhausted."

Scarlett didn't know whether to blush or be annoyed.

"Is that all? Grow up, Suellen."

"You will never change, will you, Scarlett?"

"Is Dilcey in the kitchen?" Scarlett asked, deciding to ignore her sister.

"That response certainly answers my question," Suellen answered back.

"Suellen, it is none of your business what I do," Scarlett snapped irritably.

"Thank goodness the nursery is furthest away from your room, but imagine how poor Carreen and I must feel? And Will requires a good night's sleep in order to start work at a decent hour," Suellen complained.

Scarlett fought every childish urge and instead turned her back on her sister. She would not react.

"What would Mother say, Scarlett? All she wanted was for us to become great ladies and look at what you've become," Suellen declared maliciously. "Carrying on like you did and don't think we haven't heard the stories of you and -"

Scarlett swung her body back to address her sister, but before she could, she heard Rhett's voice as he entered the room.

"Your mother, I imagine, would tell you to mind your own business, Suellen, given that it is your sister's and my charity that allowed you and your family to live here at one time. For some time, I paid many of the bills here at Tara, so I'd remind you to treat your sister, my wife, with some respect." Rhett took his place at the table, glancing at Suellen critically.

Suellen's face turned red, and she quickly rose from the table and left the room.

"Rhett!" Scarlett exclaimed.

Rhett shrugged his shoulders and looked from his wife to Carreen, who looked horrified and more than a little sheepish.

"My apologies to you, Carreen," Rhett turned his focus back to Scarlett, "and to you, my dear, but your sister only addressed you to make you feel embarrassed, and I'm rather tired of her pompous attitude towards you and my children."

Scarlett watched Rhett reach across the table to fill his dish. Sitting down, Scarlett glanced at Carreen and smiled sheepishly at her. Carreen reached across the table and squeezed her hand.

"Rhett is right, my dear," Carreen said before returning to her breakfast.

Both Rhett and Carreen might be correct, but there would be hell to pay later. Scarlett was glad that Rhett was at Tara with her. Suellen would think twice about her snide comments with Rhett around.

* * *

Instead, Suellen kept a low profile in the days and weeks that followed. Scarlett spent much of her time with the children and Carreen, playing games in the nursery or, when the weather allowed, outside exploring. Scarlett had forgotten how exciting Tara could be for inquisitive children, especially those used to being cooped up in a city home. Wade and Ella were flourishing out in the country, playing with their cousins, swimming on hot days, and generally exhausting themselves long before their bedtime.

Scarlett was not looking forward to a return to Atlanta and its incessant gossip. Having Rhett and the children with her made her not want to leave. If she could, she would stay ensconced at Tara indefinitely. When she asked Rhett how he liked her childhood home, he was magnanimous in his praise but she understood he was itching to return to the city - with her and the children. Not being used to the country life, boredom was finally setting in for her husband.

On the morning of the confrontation with Suellen, Rhett had gone to seek Will out, and it was evident that the two men had discussed the episode at breakfast. Neither Rhett or Will had said anything to her, but Scarlett sensed that the two men had come to some understanding. Even odder still was the unlikely friendship and partnership that had transpired. Scarlett was not sure whether it was Will's doing or Rhett's increasing boredom but each day Rhett was joining Will for at least part of the day out in the fields.

What the brothers-in-law did or talked about Scarlett did not know, nor did she ask. But the work outdoors had emphasized Rhett's swarthy complexion and brought a trimness to his body that she increasingly enjoyed. Despite the work, or maybe because of it, each night Rhett made love to her with a tenderness that she had never experienced with him.

On a particularly warm day, Scarlett found herself sitting on the porch with Carreen when Rhett and Will returned home early from the fields. The men lumbered up the steps, looking worn but satisfied.

"You two look downright exhausted," Carreen exclaimed, rushing to pour both men a drink of the sweet tea that Dilcey had brought out earlier.

"Will and I decided to call it half a day," Rhett replied, graciously accepting the glass Carreen held towards him.

Will removed his hat and approached Scarlett, "Scarlett, I should have said this sooner but I'm sorry about what Suellen said. Sometimes she says things without thinking."

"That must be a family trait," Rhett muttered, and Scarlett glared at her husband, who was wiping his brow.

Scarlett had rarely seen her husband in such a state of disarray and she wondered if anyone would notice if she accompanied Rhett upstairs to their room. There was some time before they sat down to their evening meal where they would not be missed. Her mother would be scandalized, Scarlett thought, but realized quickly she no longer cared. Scarlett hastily wiped the grin from her face, hoping no one had noticed but catching Rhett's glance, she saw him smirk at her. That varmint!

"Tara is as much yours as it is Suellen's and," Will looked at Carreen, "and yours as well, Carreen. Suellen sometimes forgets that this house and land doesn't belong to her alone."

"Thank you, Will. I hope I haven't overstayed my welcome," Scarlett said sweetly.

Will shook his head. "Never, Scarlett but your sister has been rather short with everyone since she had the baby," Will said, looking at Rhett, before continuing, "She can get a bit difficult -"

Will's gaze and attention turned to the road leading up to the house. A carriage was slowly making its way towards them, and Will quietly watched its progress, and then his expression clouded in recognition. A man, woman, and two children sat in the carriage.

As it came closer, Carreen asked, "Will, are we expecting visitors?"

"That's my brother-in-law, but I have no idea who’s with him."

This was news to Scarlett. She had assumed that Will had no family, given that she had never heard mention of any in the almost nine years since he had arrived at Tara.

Will descended the front steps and took a few steps before stopping. Rhett walked to the edge of the porch, as the carriage halted in front of the house.

“Tom," Will called out in a curt greeting.

“Will."

As the man climbed down, Will extended his hand, but his brother-in-law appeared to want to look anywhere but at Will's face and certainly did not want to shake his outstretched hand.

“How’s Mary?" Will asked, ignoring the slight.

“Your sister’ good."

"Did you bring her with you?" Will inquired.

"No, Mary is in Macon with the kids," the man mumbled, finally speaking more than three words but still looking uneasy. "Visiting."

"How many now, Tom?"

"We have three boys, and Mary just had a little girl a few months back." Scarlett thought it was odd that Will's brother-in-law did not enquire about Will's family, but perhaps he already knew the answer. Instead, the man looked around and said, "Nice place you got here."

"It belongs to my wife’s family," Will replied.

"Sure looks nice. You done well for yourself."

"Thank you. We worked hard after the war. Tara will never be like it was when my father-in-law was alive but -"

"Listen, Will - " Scarlett was startled when Will's brother-in-law's voice got louder. It was almost as if he wanted to ensure everyone on the front porch could hear him. "I have brought your wife and kids, Will. It's about time you came home."

"My what?" Will asked, and Scarlett was sure she had misheard the man.

"Your wife and kids, Will."

"Tom?" Will took a deep breath, looking back towards the house. Scarlett noticed that Suellen was now standing inside the doorway. "My wife is on the front porch, and my children are playing out back with their cousins."

"Your first wife, Will," the man clarified.

Will took a step closer to his brother-in-law, who twisted his hat in his hands. "Tom, you know I don't have a first wife. What are you -"

Tom interrupted. "Emily here was frantic when you didn’t come home after the war."

Suellen walked past Scarlett, who stood rooted to the porch.

"Will, what is this man talking about?"

Scarlett could hear the fear in her sister's voice.

"Suellen," Will said, turning to his wife, "stay on the porch."

Suellen stepped down the stairs; one eye focused on Will and the other on the woman and two children still sitting in the carriage. Scarlett noticed that one of the boys looked to be about Wade's age and the other a year or two younger.

Suellen looked back at Scarlett and Rhett, who was now standing at the bottom of the porch steps. Will’s brother-in-law looked towards the house, and Scarlett imagined his eyes focusing on Rhett momentarily before he looked towards the fields and spat on the dirt beside him.

Scarlett and Suellen both recoiled.

"I’m sorry to disturb you, ma'am," Tom said to Suellen, "but Will here belongs with his wife and children."

"I am his wife, sir," Suellen announced, finally reaching Will's side.

"No ma'am, he’s been married to Emily here for years -"

"Suellen," Scarlett watched Will turn to his wife, placing his hands on her shoulders to turn her attention towards him, "please go back up on the porch while I handle this."

Veering back towards his brother-in-law, Scarlett heard the anger in Will's voice. "Tom, I don't know what you’re playing at, but we both know you're lying."

"Will, why didn’t you return home after the war? How could you leave Emily with no family and no money and no word of where you were?" Tom asked.

"Because I had nothing and no one to go home to, Tom, and you know that."

"Will, don't play games -"

"Tom, I don't know what you’re doing, but you need to leave," Will demanded.

Tom shook his head firmly. "I told Emily you’re coming home with us, and that's what’s going to happen. I'm not going to let you disgrace your wife or your children or your sister any longer."

Rhett, who had quietly stood listening to the discussion, approached an indignant Tom, a bewildered but angry-looking Will and an openly shocked Suellen.

"Perhaps, we should take this discussion inside, Will. It’s too warm to be discussing this outside," Rhett said, placing his hand on Will's shoulder. "Will, take Suellen inside, and I’ll bring Mr. -"

"Williams."

"Mr. Williams and this lady into the parlor. Perhaps, Carreen will sit with the children in the shade on the porch?"

Will moved to take his wife’s arm, but Suellen jerked her body away from him and stormed up the front steps past Scarlett, who instantly followed her sister inside. Carreen nodded as Will shuffled up the stairs and into the home while Rhett watched Tom approach the woman to help her down from the carriage.

"Please, come with me," Rhett gestured towards the house.

Scarlett seated herself beside Suellen, and when Rhett entered the room with Tom, and the woman, Emily, Scarlett took Suellen's hand in hers. Her sister did not fight her or pull her hand away. Scarlett squeezed Suellen's hand, which was trembling.

"Now, Mr. Williams," Rhett began, "If I understand this correctly, you are alleging that this woman," Rhett gestured to the woman who sat quietly and had not yet said a single word, or even looked at Will, "is Will’s wife. Am I correct in my assumption?"

"Assumption?"

"My guess," Rhett clarified.

"Yes, sir." Tom nodded his head.

"Do you have any proof, Mr. Williams?" Rhett waited for a response. Scarlett could hear the skepticism under the polite veneer of his words.

Tom looked towards the woman, who appeared to Scarlett both tired and nervous and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out two, slightly creased, pieces of paper.

"This here is the marriage bond issued by the church, and then it was registered with the state," Tom explained, handing it to Rhett. "The second paper is the birth records for the children that the church also issued."

Rhett took both documents from the man and looked at them for some moments before handing them to Will, who stood mute beside him.

Will didn't even glance down at the certificates before exclaiming, "Rhett, these aren't mine," as he handed them back to Rhett.

"They got your name on it, Will," Tom insisted.

Rhett quietly studied the papers more critically, and everyone in the room watched him without comment. Placing them on a side table, Rhett turned toward the woman, who was silently following the discussion. "Mrs. -"

"Benteen," Emily replied. These were the first words she had said, but she was watching Will intently.

"Mrs. Benteen," Rhett inquired, and Scarlett felt Suellen stiffen beside her. "You don’t mind if I ask you a few questions, do you?"

"Suit yourself," Emily responded.

"How did you know to find Will here, at Tara, Mrs. Benteen?"

Scarlett watched Emily exchange a look with Tom she did not entirely understand.

"Tom’s been good to me and the boys. He's been helping me write letters since just after the war ended. We heard nothing. A few weeks back, I finally came east to Georgia to see my parents. Ain't been back since we left before the war," Emily looked at Will, who was watching her with open disgust on his face. "Mary and the kids, they with my family down in Macon now," she explained to the room, "decided to come with me. It just happens that we were in a feed store in Atlanta when we heard Will's name and that he at some place called Tara. We got to talking with some man who says Will here is alive and living with some women with some kids. Until then, I don't know if my husband were dead or alive."

"Rhett, this ain't the truth," Will cried out and turned to address Tom. "I wrote to you and Mary in Texas. You wrote me back."

Scarlett could see that Will was thoroughly agitated.

"Don’t remember any letters, Will."

"Well, I wrote to you to tell you I was staying in Georgia. I wrote to you about Suellen and the girls," Will argued.

"I got no letters."

"You wrote me back," Will shot back.

"You got proof?" Tom contended.

"I saw them," Suellen whispered, but Scarlett doubted anyone heard her sister.

"I didn't write any letters to you, Will."

Rhett cleared his throat and looked from the documents that he had picked up again.

"Mrs. Benteen, I'm sorry, but I’m a bit confused." He walked towards Emily and pointed to the document. "This says that you and Will were married in May of 1861. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir, on the third just after the war started," she confirmed.

"Yes, I can see that." Rhett glanced at the next document. "It says here that your oldest son was born in March 1862. Is that correct?"

"Our boy was born on the last day of March. He'll be twelve soon. He misses his daddy."

"I can see that, Mrs. Benteen." Rhett glanced at Will but instead asked Emily another question.

"And your other son, Mrs. Benteen? When was he born?"

"March of 1864."

Rhett stared at Emily for a long moment before turning to Will.

"Will, did you not tell me once that you enlisted right away and fought at both Manassas and then, later on, at Gettysburg?"

"Yes," Will answered, clearly confused by Rhett's question.

"I’m just wondering," Rhett paused, looking at Tom first and then Emily. He put the pieces of papers down in front of him before continuing, "how it's at all possible that you are Will’s wife?"

"Will's married to her. Those papers prove it," Tom insisted.

"Unless I'm misreading this, Mr. Williams, these papers indicate that the marriage took place in March, not May of 1861."

"Papers are wrong," Tom declared.

"I don’t think so, Mr. Williams," Rhett said and looked over at his wife. "My wife Scarlett is much faster at calculating figures than I am, but there’s no way Will is the father of these two children that you claim are his because he was nowhere near Georgia at the time those boys were conceived. I enlisted at the end of the war myself, Mr. Williams, and I can tell you it would be mighty hard to impregnate a woman when you're in the middle of fighting a battle. So my only question is who put you up to this?"

"No one. We are telling the truth. Will here is lying," Tom continued to argue.

"I don’t think he is, Mr. Williams. I believe he is telling the truth. Once again, I’ll ask who sent you here?" Rhett demanded.

Emily began to wring her hands, which Scarlett picked up on. Her focus was on Emily's hands, that she almost missed Emily's response. "He looks like you."

"Shut up, Emily!" Tom hissed.

Rhett took a step towards her but stopped himself. "That son of a bitch!"

"Rhett!" Scarlett exclaimed.

Ignoring his wife, Rhett turned to Tom, who stood glaring at Emily, who at least looked uneasy about the role she had played in the deception.

"Listen. Mr. Williams, I have no doubt that you are Will’s brother-in-law, but I suggest that you leave this house, leave this state immediately, and if you say a word of this to anyone else, I’ll make sure that you’ll never know a day of peace." Without waiting for a response, Rhett added, "Take this woman and get the hell out of this house and if you ever see the man again, tell him to come to talk to Rhett Butler."

Silence filled the room as Emily rose from her seat. Scarlett watched her pause in front of Rhett. "It's not the man you need to worry about. It's the woman."

Rhett stared at her without speaking until the woman shrugged and left the room. When the soft click of the front door was heard, the only sound in the room was Suellen's sobbing and ragged breaths.

"Tom -" Will began.

"I’m sorry, Will. I had no choice."

"No choice?" Will asked. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"I needed the money," Tom replied, honesty.

"You what?"

"I’m sorry, Will."

Not a word was said as Tom exited the house and they could hear the sound of horse hooves and wheels turning on the gravel outside.

Rhett stood at the window, his shoulders tense, and Scarlett immediately realized he was livid.

"What just happened, Rhett?"

"My brother is what happened, Scarlett." Rhett turned around to face the room. Will still stood looking confused and angry and had not attempted to comfort his wife. "That son of a bitch -"

"I don't understand," Scarlett confessed.

"Don’t you, Scarlett?" Rhett's voice took on a detached tone. "Well, I’ll tell you. I didn't think he’d go this far, but this must be his idea of brotherly love."

"Why would he do this, Rhett?" Will interrupted, his words sounding clipped.

"Because he hates me and attacking my family seems to be his solution. Will, I'm sorry that you and Suellen got drawn into this dispute."

"I want to say that I don't know of any brother or sister that would go this far to hurt their family, but I guess I do now," Will announced in disbelief.

"My brother probably offered them more cash than either of them have ever dreamed of to do this. He's that desperate at this point. He was likely going to use them to blackmail and get money out of me."

Scarlett felt Suellen's hand slip out of hers, as Rhett explained.

"My brother has been after me for months, but I wouldn’t invest my money in his business. I'd heard rumors recently that he’s sinking his father-in-law’s business and the investors want their money back. Robert was going to use me to either pay them back or prop up the company. Apparently, Robert's father-in-law has some very powerful clients who don't like the idea of being swindled. While Scarlett and I were in Charleston, my brother asked me if I wanted to help finance and make some easy profits, but I already knew what was going on.  
This is Robert's way of paying me back."

Rhett paced back and forth, the long strides almost making the room seem smaller than it was. Scarlett could sense his growing anger and imagined this was similar to watching a wild animal ready to attack its prey.

"Will, I don’t know what else to say but, please be assured that I will take care of this situation," Rhett proclaimed, stressing the last word.

"Rhett, I don't understand why Robert would do this to Will and Suellen. He doesn't even know them -"

Rhett spun his body around hastily.

"Because Will and Suellen are your family, Scarlett, and you are my family. It’s that simple." Scarlett shuddered at Rhett's ominous tone.

"I still don’t understand why your brother would do something like this."

"He hates me, Scarlett, and Robert has become a horrible person. He was willing to pay someone to spread lies about Will to destroy Suellen's reputation and yours. Suellen is your sister. Everyone would be talking about how she was a fallen woman, married to a man who already had a wife and children that he abandoned after the war. Robert went as far as getting these obviously fake papers made but couldn’t get the fucking dates to match up with Will’s record."

"I'm grateful that you noticed Rhett because I couldn't think properly," Will confessed.

"I'm glad I noticed," Rhett said, and then his tone softened as he addressed Suellen, who still sat speechless beside Scarlett. "Suellen, I am profoundly sorry this happened." Looking at Will, Rhett suggested, "Will, perhaps you and I should ride into Jonesboro to make sure this fool hasn’t been spreading any rumors." Returning his attention to Suellen, Rhett finished. "Scarlett, you should take Suellen up and get her settled in bed. It’s been a long day for her."

"If it’s all the same to you, Rhett, I think it would be better if you and Scarlett and the children leave Tara - " Suellen paused briefly, "tonight."

"Suellen -" Scarlett began to speak but was interrupted immediately by her sister.

"No!" Suellen cried. "I want you out of this house tonight. After what happened today, I don't want to look at either one of you."

Rhett reached his arm forward to help Suellen stand, and Scarlett watched as her sister recoiled away from him.

"Don't touch me!" she shouted. "Just get out!"

"Suellen, this is my home just as much as it is yours," Scarlett countered, feeling a tinge of annoyance and anger hit her.

"Don't you get it, Scarlett, this is my home. I’ve lived here all my life, and I'm raising my family here while you've been off in Atlanta stealing beaux, stalking married men and generally acting like a Yankee whore," Suellen choked on her words slightly. "Take your husband and your brats and leave me alone."

Scarlett sat dumbfounded as she watched Suellen run out of the room, barely glancing at Will.

"The nerve of that woman -"

Will laid his hand on Scarlett's arm. "I think Suellen has a point, Scarlett. I think it would be best if you give your sister some time to calm down, and frankly, Scarlett, I think it best you give us time alone."

Will nodded at Rhett and, without waiting for a response, followed his wife out of the room. Scarlett looked at Rhett but said nothing. There was something still bothering her about the entire scene, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was.

* * *

With a few words from Rhett, Dilcey, Prissy and Pork began the process of packing up the Butler's possessions. There was no way it could be completed in one evening allowing the family to return to Atlanta on the last train. The bulk of their things would follow them to the city the following day.

Neither Rhett or Scarlett voiced a word of concern or disagreement when Carreen, who had been largely forgotten about, announced that she intended to return to Atlanta with her sister. Will and Suellen were not around, and only snatches of conversations, shouting, and occasional sobbing could be heard from behind their closed bedroom door.

Suellen and Will did not leave the privacy of their room to see Scarlett, Rhett, Carreen, and the children leave Tara later that day.

Following assurances by Pork that he and Dilcey, along with Prissy, would follow on the first train to Atlanta in the morning, the Butlers found themselves ensconced in two private compartments on the train chugging towards the city.

Carreen eagerly agreed to sit with Wade and Ella, who were openly confused by their sudden departure from Tara.

Rhett and Scarlett sat stoically by themselves, not speaking.

As she watched the scarred Georgia countryside pass by her window, Scarlett fought an overwhelming but mysterious urge to scream at each stop made by the train to let on and off other passengers.

She did not want to remain at Tara, nor did she want to return to the Peachtree Street house that was the scene of heartbreak and darkness that had punctuated her life recently. The last few months with Wade and Ella at Tara, culminating with Rhett's return, had made a few things clearer to Scarlett. The time away from the oppressive cloud hanging over their lives in Atlanta had been good for Wade and Ella. After their sister's death, there had been little opportunity for them to act like normal children, and for the first time, she wished things could be different. Maybe they could be.

For the first time in years, Scarlett had been able to think without the cloud of Bonnie's tragic accident and Rhett's downward but confusing spiral hanging over her. She was able to breathe, relax, and consider the direction her life was heading in.

Time away from Rhett, after Christmas, had put several things into perspective. Things could not continue in the same fashion as they had since Bonnie's death. If she was honest with herself, things had been dreadful for years. There had been a few short months, following their honeymoon when she and Rhett had been happy but that happiness had been short-lived. As soon as they had moved into the Peachtree Street house, her relationship with Rhett, which had always been volatile, began to deteriorate quickly. Scarlett didn't quite understand what had happened, and she had no idea how to repair it. It seemed unlikely that anything could remedy it now. She wasn't even sure she had the energy for such a task. The more Scarlett thought about it, the clearer the answer was.

That is, it was until her reconciliation with Rhett and the new relationship they were building.

Shifting her head from the fading scenery outside her window, Scarlett studied Rhett. Earlier that morning, Scarlett would have said that the last few months had done Rhett some good. His voice was warm when he spoke to the children, and there was no trace of nastiness in his demeanor.

From across the compartment, she could smell him, and instantly, her thoughts wandered to the night before. Scarlett could still remember how his arms had felt like steel, holding her firmly in place beside him. She recalled the feather-soft touches on her bare arms, and suddenly, her heart raced. Her body swayed slightly in the seat as her mind refocused on the day's events. Scarlett couldn't think clearly. Was she suffering from a case of self-doubt? Could she ask the question that had lodged itself in her mind? Did she want to know the truth?

Rhett hadn't maliciously teased her in months, not had he made any snide or cruel comments. There was no cruel smirk on his face.

There was, however, an ominous sense of defeat in the air

"What are you thinking about, Scarlett?" Rhett asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm wondering how you can be so calm about what just happened," Scarlett responded, "and I'm wondering when or if you are going to tell me the entire story."

"The entire story?" Rhett repeated. "Scarlett, you were there and heard the whole damn story."

Scarlett looked away. "Fine."

"What do you want to know, Scarlett. I can see that you're already trying to push me away."

"I'm pushing you away!" Scarlett exclaimed. "That's the way you deal with things, Rhett, not me."

"Scarlett, this is not the time nor the place to discuss this. The children are next door. We'll talk when we get home, but just know that I will deal with this. I will fix this, but you have to trust me."

"Trust you," Scarlett snickered. "I haven’t trusted you since you abandoned me on the road to Tara. How can I possibly trust you to tell me the truth after everything that's happened?"

"I swear that I will protect you and the children -"

"I won’t play this game with you any longer, Rhett, because that’s what this is to you, a game. You told me yourself that you spent years gambling through life. Well, no more. At least not with me. I don’t want this for myself or my children. I should have listened to my - never mind -" she said and looked away.

"Scarlett, don't push me away. I didn't do this, and I will deal with this."

"You knew this would happen."

"I did not, Scarlett. I promise you that. This is a new low, even for my brother."

"Tara and the children are all I have left. Now, because of your brother, I can't return to my childhood home."

"You have me, Scarlett."

"No, Rhett, I don't believe I ever did. I want all of you. Can you give me all of you, Rhett?"

"What do you think I've been doing since last fall?"

"I don’t know who you are, Rhett. This life with you is exhausting. I can’t be myself, and I am always wondering if you're going to leave or say something hurtful or go back to her."

"Her? Scarlett, you know there isn't another woman."

"It's not the man you need to worry about. Isn't that what that woman said." Scarlett turned her head very slowly to look at him. "Then tell me the truth. The whole truth about her," she demanded. "Belle."

Rhett adjusted himself in his seat, and Scarlett knew he was scrutinizing her.

"Because this is about her, Rhett, isn't it?"

She watched his eyes dart around the small compartment. There were only a few places he could rest his gaze before he looked back at her. The sky had darkened, so there was nothing to look at outside.

“After Bonnie died, I was so angry," Rhett began.

"So was I, Rhett, and I was so sad. I wanted you to comfort me after Bonnie, but every time I looked at you, there was something that told me that I couldn’t turn to you. And you were never home.” After a brief pause, Scarlett whispered, “You were with her the entire time, weren’t you?”

There was no point in his denying it. They both knew it to be the truth. What did it matter any longer?

“Yes.”

“I saw her in the store one day. She looked at me. All I saw in her eyes was pity. Rhett, I don't understand why she dislikes me so much.”

"Scarlett, I am almost 46 years old, and for the first time in my life, I feel the need to be completely honest with you. I'm too old," Rhett paused, "and you are too important to me to continue lying to you and myself. I was not completely honest with you the night Melly died, and I have not been entirely truthful with you since. I've never told anyone what I'm about to tell you."

Scarlett suddenly wasn't sure she wanted to hear what Rhett had to say. Once she knew Rhett's truth, there was no way to unhear it. She watched Rhett lean his head back against the seat, close his eyes momentarily before his stare met hers again.

"I met Celine Watling just a few months after my father disowned me. I had worked my way to New Orleans, by playing cards and working odd jobs. I had a little money in my pocket, and I decided I had earned myself some kind of reward. I strolled into a brothel and glanced around until I saw Celine. She was young and slender and petite, and needless to say, I returned to her several times during my stay in the city. A few months into my stay, Celine became pregnant and insisted on not having the baby," Rhett paused. "Celine was the young girl I told you about, Scarlett when you mentioned not wanting Bonnie."

Scarlett vividly remembered Rhett's reaction that day. There had been rage but also desperation and tenderness in his voice as he told her he didn't want children any more than she did. Then, Rhett had told her about the girl. She had also missed another sign of Rhett's true feelings towards her.

"Celine was Belle's sister?"

"Yes."

"Was the child yours?" Scarlett forced herself to ask.

"Is a man ever certain, Scarlett?" Rhett simply shrugged before continuing. "I met Belle later. I had just returned to the country after several years abroad. I ended up in New Orleans, where I spent several months enjoying myself. My newfound wealth allowed me to buy anything and anyone I wanted. I was Belle's first client. Her husband had just died in a hunting accident, and Belle was struggling to support herself with odd jobs here and there. Both her parents were dead and there was no other family to help her. Belle decided she had no other options than to sell her body to survive. I later learned that she was Celine's sister, and I frequented her in the hopes that it would make her work more comfortable. Somehow, despite my best precautions, Belle became pregnant."

"Did she have the child?" Scarlett asked, already knowing the answer.

Scarlett had thought, upon leaving Tara, that she knew everything about Rhett, but now she realized she knew very little about the man that she had married.

Rhett nodded. "After what happened to her sister, Belle still wanted to get rid of the child, but there was no way I could allow that to happen. I convinced her to have the child and that I would assume any financial responsibility for her child."

"Was the baby yours?"

"At first I wasn't sure, but as he's gotten older, I must admit he could be mine. Belle insists he is."

Belle's relationship with Rhett now made a lot of sense. That woman knew all his secrets, and every word or action towards her, Scarlett thought, was likely out of anger.

"What's his name?" Scarlett choked out.

"Belle named him Dominic, after her father."

"How old is he?"

"Dominic will be sixteen next month."

Scarlett had known Rhett for thirteen years, been married to him for six, and now she was learning that he had a child with that woman. In place of the anger, which she imagined was justifiable, or the disgust she should have felt at discovering her husband had a living child, not with her, but Belle Watling, of all people, Scarlett instead felt only intense sadness. The entire time she had known him, from the barbeque at Twelve Oaks, to his courting of her during the war and throughout their entire marriage, Rhett had an illegitimate child  
with a whore.

"Do you love her?" Scarlett dreaded hearing Rhett's response.

"No, and that's why we are sitting here going back to Atlanta and not sitting down to dinner with your sister's family."

"Because you don't love her?"

"No, because I love you."

Scarlett watched Rhett's expression change and watched his eyes wander to the door. Neither one of them had noticed Wade opening the door to the compartment, where he now stood with tears streaming down his face. There was no need for anyone to ask what exactly Wade had overheard.

**End of Part Three**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot is known about Will Benteen. Just for the record. I love Will, but...
> 
> The ward: For close to twenty-five years I was firmly convinced that Rhett's ward and Belle's child were two different, unrelated children. Now, while I can concede that they are probably the same person, I still can’t emotionally digest the possibility that Belle’s child/the ward is Rhett's. My romantic notions about Captain Butler have sadly slipped away but I still have doubts about the paternity of the child. I am fully aware some readers will vehemently disagree with me but that’s what makes this story so interesting. Why doesn't Rhett mention Belle's child or parenting skills when he wants to hurt Scarlett? Or that he has a child? If Rhett was really done with Scarlett, he could have said those things. That leads me to believe a) he still loves her and b) that the ward/Belle’s child is not his. There are other reasons that I won’t get into here.
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked, or left a Kudo for this story.


	17. A New Man

**Part Four:**

The carriage ride to the Peachtree Street house was mercifully quiet, for which Scarlett was grateful. Her brain couldn't process any additional information. All she wanted was to go home, slip into her bed, and forget the day had ever happened. Instead, she kept replaying the day's events in her mind.

Rhett had a son. With Belle. Scarlett wanted it to be a lie but it wasn't.

Ella was asleep tucked between her and Carreen, snoring quietly. Wade sat beside Rhett, who had his arm around the boy's shoulder. Her son had not left his stepfather’s side since Rhett had scooped the sobbing boy into his arms on the train.

Scarlett didn't know what to say to Wade; how to explain what he had overheard. She was still struggling with the news.

With the help of Rhett and Carreen, the children were given a light meal and sent off to bed. Carreen went to her room, claiming she had a headache, and Scarlett escaped to her room in a state of exhaustion.

She didn't know and didn't care what Rhett's plans were for his evening.

Closing the door to her room firmly behind her, Scarlett undressed and quickly prepared for bed. Climbing in between the sheets, she tried to settle herself comfortably amongst all the pillows. She closed her eyes, but sleep would not come to her.

Rhett had said that his love had worn out the night that Melly died.

Rhett told her he was going to leave but instead, he stayed.

The moment Rhett had reappeared at breakfast the next morning, Scarlett had begun to doubt what she wanted.

She had let her guard down and look at the result.

Part confusion, part curiosity had driven her actions since Melly's death. She had stood back and studied Rhett, especially when they were in Charleston. She knew she had done things to hurt Rhett, but she had also been hurt. Somehow, while she had one foot in the marriage and one foot out, Rhett had had a complete change of heart. He had shown her through his actions that he still cared for her. He had sat beside her at Melly's funeral, in the home of a man he so thoroughly hated. When she had wanted time and space at Tara to put her marriage past her, Rhett made it a point to show up every week. It was just often enough for her to miss him all over again, and by week's end, when she could think of him without aching, he would show up again. His quick thinking during this last incident had saved her family from humiliation and scandal.

Since that morning last fall, they had more or less resumed their old patterns, except for one startling development: both her and Rhett had admitted to loving each other.

But was that declaration enough, especially now? Was their marriage worth saving? In the aftermath of the afternoon's disclosure, Scarlett wasn't sure anymore. Her uncertainty had diminished in Charleston, mainly when she and Rhett had laid in each other's arms and allowed themselves to grieve together over Bonnie finally. In the last few months, when Rhett had not run away from their marriage but kept coming back to her, she had started to consider that they might make this work.

What she didn't want, Scarlett somehow knew, was the wild passion and pace of their old life. She wanted peace. This life they had been leading since the war could not continue; it was too exhausting.

At Tara, she had let her guard down entirely with him, but now Scarlett did not know where they stood. She had returned his declarations of love as they made love each night. Life with Rhett was different. Maybe that had to do with the fact that Rhett was different, and so was she. But did that change anything? She had long ago learned that what transpired between a man and a woman did not have to include love.

It was the revelation that he had a child with Belle that had changed everything. Scarlett could not shrug off this fact about Rhett like she had other unpleasant things all her life. If only she had thought things through, many pieces of the puzzle would have fallen into place.

But it was too late for wishful thinking.

* * *

"You're leaving again?" Wade asked, without looking up from his book when he heard his stepfather's footsteps grow louder.

"I have to go to Charleston, Wade."

Rhett stood at the entrance of the boy's bedroom.

Wade still didn't look up but Rhett knew the boy was angry and bewildered about what he had heard on the train. "When?"

"Tomorrow."

"For how long?" Wade's words were curt and Rhett remembered how he had often spoken to his father in much the same way towards the end of their relationship.

"Wade, I shouldn't be longer than a few weeks. There's a number of issues I need to take care of," Rhett clarified.

"Why?" The boy finally looked at him.

"I have to make some things right for your Mother and Ella and you." Rhett entered the room and looked around. "Do you like your room, son?"

"With your son?" Rhett’s head jerked back to look at Wade, who at that moment looked more like his mother than Rhett had ever noticed.

"No, Wade, my son is in this room." Rhett approached Wade's bed and noticed the daguerreotype of Charles Hamilton, along with his sword and pistol. Charles Hamilton had never known his son, and his belongings still had a position of importance almost fourteen years later. He had known the boy all these years, Rhett thought, and there was nothing of his in Wade's room.

"You lied to me."

"Wade, I know I did and I'm sorry. One day - - one day very soon you and I will sit down and I will explain it to you as much as I can. I need you to understand that you have done nothing wrong and your Mother and I will figure this out. You may be upset and confused, but I want you to be angry with me, not your Mother."

"Does Mother know you're leaving again?" Wade demanded.

"Not yet."

"Are you coming back?"

Sitting down, he answered, "Yes, Wade. I'm not going to abandon you or your sister. I haven't always done a good job of showing it but I love both you and your sister very much."

"As much as Bonnie?"

Rhett exhaled loudly.

"Yes, Wade." And Rhett knew he meant the words.

"What about Mother?"

"Wade, I love your Mother more than I can describe, and I'm not leaving her."

"I don't want her to be angry all the time," the boy confessed, his anger visibly lessening.

"You must promise me that you will look after your Mother and Ella while I'm away." Ruffling Wade's hair, Rhett chuckled, "Let me worry about your Mother. I have experience dealing with her Irish temper."

"Yes, sir." Wade smiled shyly.

Rhett knew the boy would have more questions one day, and he would be there to answer them. Unlike his father, Rhett vowed that he would do everything in his power to maintain a relationship with his son. He would make things right with Wade.

* * *

“Scarlett?”

The dull thud of Rhett’s knock on her bedroom room jolted her out of her thoughts. Rubbing her tired eyes with the insides of her palms, Scarlett turned her head to see Rhett’s head appear in the doorway.

“Did I wake you?”

“No.” She raised herself into a sitting position, resting her back against the headboard as she watched Rhett close the door behind him.

“Can we talk?”

Rhett approached the bed and sat on the edge. Scarlett pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging her legs.

“What is there left to discuss, Rhett?”

Rhett closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Scarlett, I need to go to Charleston.”

“Then go, Rhett. No one is stopping you.” Scarlett stretched out her legs and folded her arms in front of her chest.

“Scarlett, I don’t want to go but I must go to Charleston to handle this nasty business with my brother and take care of a few other pieces of business while I am there,” Rhett explained.

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me, Rhett. What you do and where you go is of little concern to me.”

“Scarlett, please -”

“Please, what, Rhett?” Scarlett interrupted.

“Scarlett, don't think I'm a coward or worry that I'm slinking away before we have properly discussed this, but I feel that it might be best to give you the time and space to process today’s events. I will be home as soon as it is possible.” Rhett reached out towards her. “I love you, Scarlett.”

"Rhett, after what happened at Tara, I'm less sure of us -" Scarlett paused, carefully considering her words. The anger she had felt earlier was gone. In its place was a feeling of emptiness.

"What are you saying, my dear?" His hand stopped short of actually touching her.

Things would change in the upcoming months and years. Her life and the lives of her children would never be the same. It would be painful, and maybe there would always be some regret, but the truth was she could never look at him in the same way. After learning of Rhett’s illegitimate son, all she could see was Bonnie's broken body, and her thoughts drifted to her unborn baby. If she ever saw Belle again, she knew she would always wonder why Rhett hadn't fought harder for her or their marriage.

"That maybe you should leave Atlanta." Rhett leaned slightly away from her. “And not come back.”

"Is that what you really want?"

Scarlett shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe."

"You will be ruined if we divorce, Scarlett, you understand that?"

"I actually don't care anymore, Rhett," she whispered. "I'd rather be ruined than feel unloved and miserable my entire life. I don't know if I want to be married to you any longer."

A divorce would undoubtedly destroy her reputation, but marriage would tie them to each other until one of them died. What a mess they had made of their lives.

Rhett studied her for a moment.

"And I'm the reason you are not happy?"

Scarlett exhaled loudly.

"I was sixteen and a spoiled belle. By seventeen, I was a widow and a mother. At nineteen, I was escaping a burning Atlanta and was responsible for caring for a dozen people. I found myself at twenty-one in a loveless marriage of convenience. Now I'm twenty-eight and have buried a child and lost another. I don't want to look back when I'm forty-five and realize that I spent my entire adult life miserable, especially when I could have done something about it."

“I’m sorry, Scarlett.” Leaning closer towards her Rhett again. "I wish I had told you the truth sooner about -"

"A son, Rhett. A son? I didn’t expect that you would have a child," Scarlett replied, "and certainly not a child with that woman."

"I wasn't entirely sure how you would take this news, so I never said anything beyond what I said to you years ago. That was a mistake. I am truly sorry but I also need you to know that I love you more today than at any time during the last thirteen years."

"How can you say that, Rhett? You made it very clear that your love for me died." She stuck her chin out in defiance. "What did you say about deathless love?" She uncrossed her arms, leaning towards him.

"I guess I'm a liar, Scarlett because my love never wore out. I have been in love with you since the war." Reaching over to take her hand, Rhett squeezed it tightly. "I'll let you make the final choice, Scarlett, but don’t make it until I’ve come back and we’ve had a chance to make things right.”

Scarlett let go of his hand and instantly missed the warmth of his touch.

“Scarlett, I’m going to Charleston and I will be home in a few weeks.”

“Have a good trip.”

She might later regret her decision, but at that moment, Scarlett knew that she would have to act like Rhett’s departure didn’t matter.

“Scarlett, I’m coming home.”

Getting up, Rhett quietly left the room.

For the first time in weeks, Rhett did not fall asleep beside her and though Scarlett tried counting sheep, throwing open her window to cool off the room, she quickly learned there was no substitute for Rhett sleeping next to her. She repetitively tapped her fingers on the bed, and it wasn’t until much later that her eyes finally became heavier and heavier until they shut.

Some strange sound startled Scarlett out of her abysmal state of sleep. Her cheeks were wet and the sheets were twisted around her. Lifting her head from her pillow, Scarlett tried to listen for whatever had made a noise. The room was entirely dark, so it was still too early for anyone to be up and about. Scarlett’s heart pounded, wondering if one of the children was having trouble sleeping.

Straining to hear, Scarlett finally separated the nocturnal sounds of the Peachtree Street house from a hoarse cry. Once outside her room, Scarlett paused but didn’t make it past the room that Rhett had long occupied. Quietly pushing the door open, the soft light of a candle illuminated her husband, who sat on the edge of the bed, head in his hands, his breathing ragged and uneven.

"What’s wrong, Rhett?"

At the sound of her voice, her husband looked up at her. The instant Rhett raised his head, she saw that his face was damp with tears.

“Did you have a nightmare, Rhett?”

Scarlett wanted to act like she was not affected by the tears streaming down his face but as she tiptoed to him, it no longer mattered. She sat beside him, fully aware of his body beside her.

"I dreamed that I was standing at the bottom of the steps of this house," Rhett whispered, "and I was coming home to you. You were standing at the top of the stairs, holding Bonnie in your arms, and suddenly, I was both pushing you down the stairs and trying to catch you at the same time," Rhett sobbed loudly, and Scarlett felt her heart constrict. "You and Bonnie were both lying in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, and I had killed both of you."

"Oh, Rhett -"

"I don’t want to lose you," Rhett said, unable to look at her. He did, however, reach for her hand. "I need to apologize for every time I hurt you and treated you poorly, every lie that I told you -"

His words should mean nothing now, but they did.

"Tell me it’s not too late for us, Scarlett."

Before she could respond, a cry came forth from Rhett, a sound so raw that Scarlett's eyes immediately filled with tears. She grabbed onto him, fearful that he would fall, feeling the violent shudders that gripped his body. With her arms around him, she pulled him into her embrace and felt the iron grip of his arms surround her, almost suffocating her, as his tears soaked the shoulder of her nightgown.

Taking him by the hand, with the candle in the other, Scarlett led him back into her room and into her bed where she held him for many minutes.

"You know everything there is to know about me, Scarlett. I have a son, and I'm too ashamed to claim him as my own," he mumbled into her hair. "I hated Ashley because he had what I wanted, and I was too scared to win you for myself. I was too afraid you'd reject me, so I never let you see that I needed and loved you. I hated my mother for loving my father more than me. The worst is that I became the kind of man I never wanted to be to protect myself against the pain of loving someone."

"Rhett, please -"

"Scarlett, I need you to teach me how to love the way you love - you love your parents, your family, your friends, your children so intensely," Rhett proclaimed, pulling away to look in her eyes. "Your love is what I need."

"Rhett, I don’t know if I can be that person -"

"You are, my darling, you are. Do you want to know the truth, Scarlett? I can’t stay away from you,” he paused, “because I tried to leave so many times, and I could never stay away. You are the great love of my life, Scarlett Butler, and maybe I should have told you during the war or at any other time before Melly died, but I was too scared that you would reject me. But when I look at you, I see my - our entire lives. I see you at the top of the stairs on the day of the barbeque. I carry with me the look of boredom in your eyes at the bazaar. I see the exhaustion and determination in your eyes when you were pregnant with Ella. I see the hurt I caused you the moment before you fell down the stairs. But I also see us dancing the reel and the pride when you looked at Bonnie. Say something, Scarlett, please," he begged, his breathing ragged.

Scarlett shifted away from Rhett in the bed. She realized that if she let him, he would love her, despite her childish airs, arrogant behaviors, and destructive ways. She had broken his heart, but he was still beside her. She could keep the self-imposed wall up and never know the deepest, most genuine love of a man, or she could let go of her insecurities. Scarlett hardly recognized the man staring at her now. Bonnie's death and their life together had aged him. Looking up into his eyes, Scarlett saw a spark of fear in his eyes and knew that her rejection of him would irreparably destroy him. She could give him what he had been seeking his entire life: acceptance but, most importantly, love. She could be his happy ending or his destruction.

But what about her happy ending? Perhaps, it didn't include him or any man. Maybe her ending was moving on without him, living her life for herself. And yet, here she was repeating all of her mother's mistakes, but unlike her mother, she could fix them. Like Ellen, she had been impulsive and thought that she was meant to be with Ashley when Rhett had been the man for her all along. Had Gerald known or tired of not having his wife's complete love? In the end, Ellen's death had destroyed him. Scarlett would not let the same happen to Rhett and she certainly did not want to become her mother, and she suddenly laughed at the thought.

Rhett watched her carefully but said nothing. In her darkest hours, Scarlett had always wanted to be like her mother, but only now could she admit that the idea held no charm for her. Ellen had likely held on to the fantasy of her cousin until her dying day. Philippe could have been the greatest love of her life or more likely, the cause of great misery. The truth was that her mother would never know and had agreed to marry a man she didn't love and never let herself love him in the way that would have brought them both the greatest joy in life.

Scarlett relaxed her head into her pillow and quietly watched Rhett. For years she had taken this man for granted. She had loved another while he had pined away, hoping that she would someday transfer her affections to him. Loving was a hard thing for her. Though she had loved her parents, that love had been blind in so many ways, never seeing Gerald and Ellen for who they were or for their shortcomings. Scarlett thought she had loved Ashley, but when his weaknesses became apparent, and she began to see the man for who he was, she understood that she would never be happy with him. She was so close to fully knowing the man lying beside her.

Rhett's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Did I ever tell you about my father's death," Rhett asked, his voice cracking.

"I don't believe so." Scarlett lay there, careful not to touch him.

"I was worried because my mother failed to meet me as arranged. She had always managed to sneak away, so I was nervous and decided to walk by her house in the hopes of discovering what had prevented her from coming. As I passed the house, I saw the doctor, who had delivered myself, Robert and Rosemary, exit the house. He noticed me and walked across the street, where he proceeded to tell me that my father had suffered a massive stroke and was dying. The doctor persuaded me to come to see him. My mother was sitting beside his bed when I walked into their bedroom. I knew it was not a good idea, and I was right. My father opened his eyes and blinked twice. His face was expressionless, and it took him a considerable effort to move, but he did, and he said one word to me. Do you want to know what he said?"

Scarlett shook her head, watching Rhett's features cloud over.

"Stranger."

"Stranger?"

"Even in death, my father's hatred of who I had become held. I can't ignore that moment any longer. I fought my entire adult life to be a better man than my father, and in the end, it wasn’t enough. I've done everything wrong. My father and I lived a very different life, but in the end, I have become much the same man. I finally understand that the look in my father's eyes was not hatred but fear. He realized that it was too late to make amends and admit his wrongs, and it was easier not to in his final hours. My mother loves to say we are both stubborn men, and neither of us could admit we were wrong. My father's choices cost him his family. I don't want that to happen to us."

"Rhett?"

"Scarlett?"

Scarlett made her choice. She wouldn't look back or question herself.

"We won’t let it be too late."

It felt like a weight had been lifted from her heart.

* * *

Scarlett felt dizzy and tired when she woke up late the next morning. It had taken hours for her to fall asleep, and even then, she drifted in and out of a dreamless sleep. Her eyes felt like they were full of sand after a day at the beach like she had experienced as a child with her family in Savannah. She vaguely recollected Rhett's gentle kisses and soft caresses before he left for the train depot.

Carreen and the children had already had breakfast by the time Scarlett strode into the dining room. Carreen was finishing her coffee and silently reading a newspaper, most likely left behind by Rhett.

"Good morning, baby." Scarlett slipped into her seat. "Where are the children?"

"The children are getting ready to go see their cousin Beau. I thought it might be nice for them to spend some time with him today." Carreen took a sip of her coffee. "Where's Rhett?"

"On the train to Charleston."

Carreen put her coffee cup down and slipped an envelope out from under her dish. She slid it across the table to Scarlett.

"What is it?" Scarlett could already see Rhett's distinctive writing on the envelope.

"There was a note attached to this indicating that I give this to you if you appeared happy." Carreen looked worried.

Scarlett laughed.

My love,

I meant what I said last night.

I love you, Scarlett.

P.S. If you're still reading this and not scowling, you might want to visit Henry. He has something you might like.

Scarlett fought the urge to smile, but it still infuriated her that Rhett knew she might still have doubts. Unlike his previous departures, something was different about this time: Scarlett knew Rhett was coming home soon and she was happy about it.

Looking up at her sister, Scarlett announced, "Carreen, let's take the children to Beau's, and then I can show you my store."

It took longer to leave the children with Aunt Pittypat, where Scarlett discovered Beau and Ashley were now residing, not only due to Carreen's presence but also the fact that Aunt Pitty had to gush and fuss over Scarlett and the children.

By the time she and Carreen arrived at Kennedy's, it was early afternoon, and a steady stream of customers was exploring the store. Walking in the door, Scarlett looked around and was delighted at how neat and meticulously organized her shelves were. She was sure this was Rhett's handiwork.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Butler!" Scarlett swung around to find Hugh Elsing bustling about, helping customers.

"Hugh, what are you doing here? Where's Willie?" Scarlett asked?

"I work here."

"You do?" Scarlett asked incredulously. It was one thing for an inept Hugh Elsing to run Ashley's mills, but Scarlett wasn't sure she could survive having Hugh work at her store.

"Yes, ma'am, Mr. Butler hired me after Christmas."

"After Christmas?"

"I'm sorry, but I need to help Mrs. Bonnell with some dishes." And he rushed off to see to his customer.

"Where's Willie?" Scarlett called after him.

Over his shoulder, Hugh called, "He moved to Macon last month. Mr. Butler hasn't had a chance to replace him yet, so it's just me working."

Scarlett needed to sit down. She suddenly felt faint and wasn't sure she could handle the shock of employing Hugh Elsing and, once again, leaving the responsibility of overseeing her business to the useless man. When the mills had been sold to Ashley, Scarlett had been secretly relieved that she would not need to deal with Hugh ever again.

Scarlett was positive she would kill Rhett over this.

"Scarlett, the store looks wonderful," Carreen exclaimed, startling Scarlett out of her thoughts.

Carreen had a point. The store looked good, and customers seemed to be content. When she had last looked at the account books, the store seemed to be thriving.

"If you don't mind, I'll set my reticule down in your office and help your clerk," Carreen announced.

"Why - - why would you do that?" Scarlett sputtered.

"It's busy, and it looks like he could use the help. You said you had some business to attend to, so I'll stay here until you come to pick me up."

Without another word, Carreen hurried off in the direction Scarlett pointed out.

Scarlett did have other matters to attend to after her prolonged absence from her business and the city. Perhaps, she would listen to Rhett and visit Uncle Henry.

Once she was back in her carriage, though, instead of driving to Uncle Henry's, Scarlett directed her driver to take her someplace she had avoided for many months. The last time she had been to the cemetery was when Melly had been laid to rest. At that time, she was unable to visit her daughter's grave. Scarlett imagined that Rhett had visited, but for some reason, she had not asked him. She quickly found Bonnie's grave with the angel mounted marker. In front of it stood a stone bench upon which she sat. She looked around her at the swaying trees and watched the flight of a few small birds in the air. Scarlett looked anywhere but at the grave for the first few minutes.

It was still hard to believe that her little girl was here, but then she wasn't really, Scarlett realized.

"Oh, Bonnie, baby, I'm sorry, Mama took so long to get here. I was a bit lost, but now I'm here." Tears slipped down her cheeks.

And then Scarlett started talking. Softly at first and then in her normal voice as if her daughter was beside her and not in the dark ground. Bonnie had been to Charleston, so Scarlett told her all about their trip: Ella's near accident, Rosemary's wedding, and all the everyday things as well. She spoke of Rhett's breakdown and Wade regaining his voice. Life at Tara came next with stories of Mammy as well as an explanation of what had happened with her Uncle Will and Aunt Suellen. Scarlett told her daughter that her father had not run away, and she admitted to Bonnie that she couldn't wait for Rhett to come home.

Again and again, Scarlett whispered that Bonnie had been loved by both her parents, and that would never change.

Scarlett was so caught up in her conversation that she did not hear the footsteps approaching behind her. When she saw the shadow, Scarlett looked up and saw Ashley standing beside her.

"Hello, Scarlett."

"Ashley."

"Do you mind if I join you for a few minutes?"

Scarlett scooted over to make room for him on the bench, and for the first time in years, she found herself sitting beside the man that she thought she loved and who she had almost ruined her life and her marriage for.

"When did you come back?" Ashley asked.

"Yesterday."

Sitting beside him, Scarlett felt nothing. No desire. No lust. No sympathy. Nothing.

"Have you been to visit Melly?" she asked, not knowing what to say.

"Yes."

That one word seemed to break the spell finally. What Scarlett felt instead was the dawning of understanding for herself and Rhett.

"This is the first time I've come to see Bonnie," Scarlett admitted.

"Bonnie understands, Scarlett." Scarlett felt him shift uncomfortably beside her. "Rhett came to see her often while you were at Tara."

"He did?"

"He was here every Monday."

"How do you know that, Ashley?"

Ashley paused, and Scarlett snuck a glance at him. He did not look as lost as he had after Melly's funeral, but he still appeared withdrawn.

"Because I come here every day," he confided. "Rhett told me that he came to tell her about you and Wade and Ella every time he returned from Tara."

Scarlett closed her eyes and tried to picture them standing together, alone, in such a difficult place for both of them. Rhett's dislike for Ashley had struck her as an obsession, but Scarlett realized that just as Rhett had let go of his hatred, she too had to do the same with her unhealthy dependency on him.

She had never been in love with Ashley, Scarlett realized. Admitting that she was in love with Rhett had shown her the difference. She had loved what Ashley represented: an old way of life that would never be again. How could she have so blindly ignored the moments of disillusion that she'd felt when Ashley was around? In pushing aside the frustration with Ashley, she had allowed him to cast an ominous shadow over her life and her marriage. Scarlett only hoped there would come a day when Rhett would not react and think her in love with or thinking about Ashley.

"Scarlett? Scarlett, did you hear me?" Ashley's question interrupted her thoughts.

"I'm sorry."

"I was thanking you for bringing the children by Aunt Pitty's to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?"

"Yes, I was hoping that Beau would have a chance to say goodbye to his cousins, and now I can do the same."

"Good-bye? To Melly? Where are you going, Ashley?"

"I've been offered a job at a college in England by a friend of mine who I met while I was on my grand tour. We kept in touch over the years, and when they heard about Melly dying, he suggested I come. I didn't want to at first, but now I think it'll be good for Beau and me to go."

"When do you leave?" Scarlett expected to feel shocked, but she didn't. She actually felt relief.

"Tomorrow. I sold the house after Christmas, and we've been staying with Aunt Pitty since. I sold the mills as well. I'm glad they're in good hands."

Ashley smiled at her.

"Ashley, I'm happy for you and Beau." Scarlett was surprised that she meant it.

"I'm glad." Standing up, Ashley asked. "How are you and Rhett?"

While it felt like she was only talking to a friend, this was not a conversation she wanted to be having with Ashley.

"We're good," she replied. "I may come by Aunt Pitty's later and see Beau again before you take him away."

"Scarlett, I'm not taking him away," Ashley clarified. "I'm merely showing my son how to live when you've lost someone you love. I haven't been living since Melly's death, and I know she would have had some harsh words for me if she could."

"Not Melly," Scarlett teased.

"Yes, Melly." Ashley had missed the joke. "When she needed to, Melly could be quite blunt."

"I never really saw that side of her," Scarlett told him.

"That's because Melly loved you so much," Ashley paused, looking uncomfortable." I know I should have said this to you earlier, but I'm sorry, Scarlett. I was wrong, and I'm sorry for my part in what has transpired between you and Rhett."

Ashley walked away before Scarlett could respond, and she sat there long after Ashley had disappeared down the road.

* * *

Rhett had momentarily considered departing for Charleston without speaking to Scarlett first but his wife had surprised him. He had expected Scarlett to yell and scream and throw things at him, but that never happened. The sixteen-year-old Southern belle that he had first met years ago would have. The woman he had woken up beside surprised him. Rhett certainly was not shocked that at one point that she had demanded he leave for good; that she now wanted him in her life stunned him.

There was immense relief that Scarlett finally knew the truth about his son, but his anger at Belle had only increased over time. The stunt at Tara had been Belle's idea, of that he was sure. Robert might hate him, but only Belle was privy to many of the facts at the heart of his brother's schemes.

Rhett understood that he had played a starring role in this tragedy. Belle's anger had likely grown out of her despair, which he shouldn't have ignored once he discovered it. Belle, Rhett knew, had harbored fantasies of one day marrying him, although even she could not deny that from the very beginning, he had made it very clear that he never would.

Rather than see another woman die, Rhett had helped her financially with Dominic, and whether it was out of guilt or some other perverse reason, he had also encouraged her to pursue her career. The money had come from him, and Rhett had never once tried to talk her out of it.

Rhett may have been her first client and he was sure that Belle soon learned in the years to come, that he was far kinder than most men. Their physical relationship grew into a friendship, and by the time the war broke out, Belle had decided to journey east to Atlanta. Rhett had no idea when Belle had fallen for him. She tried to hide her feelings and was better at it than most women, but Rhett did nothing to stop her.

Rhett knew that he had crossed several lines with Belle. When he first met Scarlett, he should have ceased all contact with Belle. After he married Scarlett, he should never have set foot in her establishment. It had been too easy to lure him back. Belle listened to his criticisms about Scarlett for years and held her tongue most of the time, soothing him and assuring him he was correct in his treatment of his wife. Secretly, Belle had probably hoped that he would tire of his wife and then realize that she was the only woman for him. Belle likely saw Bonnie's death as a sign of hope and was incensed when he returned to Scarlett.

Belle had always been an inferior substitute for Scarlett.

By the time he reached his destination, Rhett knew how he would deal with both his brother and Belle.

Rhett stepped off the train in Charleston, blinded by the sparkling sunlight light, and immediately felt that his equilibrium was somehow off. Whether it was due to his fatigue from travel or something else, Rhett could not understand why sights and sounds that were at one time so familiar and soothing to him now had no effect whatsoever. For all the time in his life, he knew that Charleston did not hold the answers for him.

As he walked the familiar streets of his youth, he acknowledged discreet nods in his direction, but that was all. Even the sounds and smells of the ocean were not enough to soothe him. Rhett focussed on the reflections of light glistening on the surface of the water, wondering why the sun's rays didn't feel warmer and yet, the reflections, seemed painfully brighter.

For all his talk of finding respectability or dignity, Rhett would never encounter charm or grace in Charleston. Henry Hamilton had been correct. He could only find it in Scarlett.

When Rhett finally arrived at his mother's house, he found her ensconced with Rosemary and Scarlett’s aunts Pauline and Eulalie, having tea. The four women looked up at him in surprise.

After greeting the women, Eleanor took his hands in her own, and Rhett was comforted by his mother's touch.

"Rhett, what are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you. Where are Scarlett and the children?" His mother asked, looking around him towards the door.

"Scarlett didn't join me this time, Mother."

"That niece of mine is always too busy," Eulalie announced in a disgusted tone.

"Your niece is working hard to ensure that you continue to have a roof over your head and food on your table," Rhett snapped.

"Rhett! Eulalie is my guest."

"Mother, I'm tired of everyone criticizing Scarlett. She's done more for everyone in this room, including you and Rosemary than anyone ever gives her credit for."

"Rhett," Eleanor murmured, "that does not give you the right to be rude to my friends."

"I'm not sorry, Mother." He did not care if all of Charleston heard what he had to say next. "I'm here to inform you that I've placed the house in your name, Mother, and I’ll continue to pay the monthly bills, but on one condition."

Eleanor looked horrified. "Rhett, can we talk about this at another time?"

"No, Mother." Rhett looked down at his Mother and realized that he was likely to sever any ties they still had. "If I find out, and I will, that Robert ever sets foot in this house again, our arrangement comes to an end."

"Rhett, he's my son," Eleanor insisted. "What has happened? This isn't about that misunderstanding before Christmas, is it?"

"You can ask Robert that question yourself and be glad that I'm not going to kill him. I've done murder before, so I have no qualms about doing it again."

"Rhett, are you feeling sick? You are not making any sense. You would never kill your own flesh and blood -"

"No? Then what would you call what happened to Bonnie and our unborn child?"

"You didn’t kill them, Rhett, and you won’t kill your brother, either."

"I did, and I will. Be sure to remember what I said, Mother."

Before his mother could reply, Rhett walked out of the parlor and out of the house. There were two stops he needed to make before he went to see his brother, one of which was a visit to his lawyer, a man he had met in his scandalous days, who could come by unsavory information effortlessly. When Rhett had the information he had written ahead for, all his suspicions were confirmed. All the rumors were accurate, and all the necessary provisions had been made.

Rhett headed for his brother's house.

Rhett had always prided himself on being a man who was able to hide his emotions from others. It had served him well in his youth and especially in his gambling days when he had needed a neutral face to win money to support himself.

Maybe it was due to his age or the fact that his brother’s underhanded schemes and attacks were focused on his wife and family, but he felt that mask slip slightly as he approached his brother's home. Rhett had timed his arrival, knowing that his brother and his family would be home. The people of Charleston were creatures of habit.

Rhett had known for a long time the kind of man his brother had become. More and more every day, Robert was becoming ruthless and cruel like their own father. Rhett knew his brother hated him, but to go to this extent was only mildly surprising when he thought about it. The animosity between the two brothers had not existed before Rhett’s banishment but had emerged during the war and afterward. Everything had been done with the clear intention to hurt him, and Robert and his accomplice had succeeded.

The crude comments to Scarlett at Rosemary's wedding had been uncalled for. His brother had set out to destroy any chance of happiness that had been created after Melly's death. Seeking out and blackmailing Will's family had been the last straw.

It was late for a social call, but being family, Rhett was sure his sister-in-law would not mind the intrusion. There was part of Rhett that wanted to take out his frustrations on his brother in a slightly more physical manner. He wanted to hurt Robert, but Rhett knew he was too old for a duel, and his mother would be appalled at the loss of one son at the hands of another. Charleston would never let her live in peace, so this route was as much for his mother's sake, as it was for Scarlett.

Robert seemed momentarily surprised at Rhett's appearance at his front door, but instantly his face darkened in understanding.

"Might we have a private word, Robert?"

"I suppose," he drawled lazily. "Elizabeth is with the children in the nursery so that we can go to my study."

"Very well." Rhett followed his brother down the hallway.

The door closed, and before Robert could react, Rhett's fist connected with Robert's jaw and sent the man crumpling to the floor. Still dazed, Robert looked up at his brother and reached for his chin to feel whether it was broken or not. Rhett massaged his fist and went to sit on the sofa.

"Sit down, Robert," Rhett instructed. "I don't believe you expected to see me this soon. I simply cannot believe that my own brother is as much of a bastard as you are."

"I'm no different than you or father, Rhett." Robert spat a mouthful of blood to the floor.

"Maybe not, but you just don't seem to be very smart." Rhett's laugh was sinister. "I thought about doing that months ago when you made rather inappropriate comments to Scarlett, but I thought it was just a defect in your character." Rhett crossed his leg carelessly. "But the stunt you pulled with Scarlett's brother-in-law was nauseating. Do you truly hate me that much that you'd hurt innocent people you have never met?"

"Who cares about some poor Georgia cracker, Rhett?"

"I do. He's my brother and a good man, unlike the asshole I see in front of."

"I'm not done with you yet, and neither is -"

"Yes, you are Robert." Rhett uncrossed his leg and leaned forward. "I know all about the shady dealings and money laundering you've committed in the last few years with your father-in-law's company."

"You're no fucking innocent, Rhett! What about your crimes?" Robert countered.

"You're right, Robert. The only difference between you and me is that I have proof in my hands of your crimes, and I know the right people in Washington. My contacts are willing to protect me," Rhett paused. "Yours are not. I asked. Even your father-in-law will turn on you if you try anything else."

"You're lying."

"Are you willing to bet on it, Robert?"

Robert's face fell. "What do you want, Rhett?"

"Leave me, my wife, my children, and her family alone." Rhett watched his brother rub his chin.

"What have you told Mother and Rosemary?"

Rhett's deep laugh echoed through the room.

"She won't hear it from me that you're a spineless son of a bitch. It's bad enough; she was married to one. I won't say anything, but I also expect you to leave that poor woman alone. If I even hear a whiff of scandal, I'll make good on my promise."

Rhett stood up and, without a backward glance, walked past Elizabeth, who stood listening outside the room.

"Rhett, this wasn't Robert's idea!"

"I know that, Elizabeth," he said, calling over his shoulder, "I wish I could say that I'm sorry you got stuck marrying my brother but it seems you fucking deserve each other."

* * *

"Miz Watling? Miz Watling? You busy?"

Belle wanted to scream at the nincompoop bartender to shut up so she could concentrate, but she didn't have the energy to do so. She sat at her desk, inspecting the incoming bills and customer receipts for the last fortnight and came to a familiar conclusion: just like her place in Charleston and her business at home in Atlanta, her bar was hemorrhaging money.

Since Rhett had pulled his money out of her place in Atlanta, Belle had come to depend upon Robert heavily. There was no way she was going to touch her savings. Opening up an establishment in both Savannah and Charleston had seemed like a great idea. She employed the prettiest girls, kept the cleanest house, served the best liquor, and, most important of all, every client knew she insisted on complete discretion.

The added bonus of Charleston is that it would get back to Rhett. The Lowcountry was his birthplace, and the thought of offering services to the gentleman that would dismiss Rhett in the street thrilled her. After everything she'd been through with him, she wanted Rhett to squirm, knowing that she was so close to his precious mother in her Battery home.

She had heard nothing from Robert for weeks, but she was sure that by now, Emily, one of her Savannah girls, and Will's brother in law, must have succeeded in executing her plan.

Rhett Butler might be gone from her life, but she smiled at the thought of that spoiled bitch's reaction to seeing her family destroyed. Belle had just returned the favor that Rhett deserved.

"Miz Watling?"

"What do you -"

"Good afternoon, Belle. With customer service like this, it's no wonder your bar is empty." Rhett grinned maliciously at her from the doorway.

"What are you doing here?"

Without an invitation, he walked into her office and sat down across from her.

"I'm just looking in on an old friend."

Belle scanned his expressionless face.

"Leave me alone, Rhett. Can't you see that I'm busy?"

"Busy?" He chuckled. "Belle, you're never going to be busy again."

"My business is of no concern to you, Rhett."

"You are correct. I only want to extend to you the courtesy of letting you know that I've reached out to each of your - shall we call them patrons - and let them know that frequenting any of your bars will end in social and financial disaster. You. Are. Finished."

"What did you do, Rhett?"

"You fucked with the wrong man, Belle." Belle recoiled in her seat, visions of their last encounter still vivid in her memory.

"I - I -," Belle stammered.

"Here's some last advice to you." He stood from the seat. "Don't ever set foot in Atlanta or Charleston or Savannah again. If you open your mouth and attempt any other pathetic schemes, you will regret it."

If what Rhett said were true, she was going to be out of business in mere days. Belle stared at the empty doorway and knew her time in the south had come to an end.

* * *

The next day, as South Carolina disappeared from his view and Georgia scenery emerged through the window, Rhett thought about that spring afternoon when he first traveled towards Atlanta.

That time it had been to meet one of the wealthiest landowning men in the county, Frank Kennedy. His younger self was self-assured, unencumbered, and arrogant. He had been two days away from meeting a sixteen-year-old belle that would take his breath away and alter his life forever.

It had taken him months to admit that he was desperate and lonely and unhappy without Scarlett in his life, but unfortunately, it felt the same when he was with her. The truth is that whores and alcohol had not worked the night of the barbeque, and they certainly did not work during the war or while she was married to Frank Kennedy.

Then he had escorted her to the mills leaving for months when he couldn't curb his attraction to her. Right before Ella was born, there had been no choice but to disappear. The alternative was being in the same town as Scarlett gave birth to another man's child. If anything had happened to her, he would have hurt himself.

Upon their return from Charleston and Scarlett's escape to Tara, he discovered that he had needed a break from his wife. They were continually hurting each other, but the change of scenery had helped. By the time Scarlett and the children had been gone for three days, he already missed them. He was still wildly in love with Scarlett, and he swore to himself he'd never treat her like he had in the early years of their relationship. There would be no more lies and no more women. What kind of man was he? He cheated on the woman he loved after waiting for years to finally marry her.

Now thirteen years later, Rhett was a different man. He was older and uncertain and damaged but life without Scarlett, Rhett had to admit, was worse, much worse, than life with her. Rhett was not willing to live a half-life because that was what life had been like without her. The rest of his life was ensuring that Scarlett knew exactly what she meant to him.

There was one last thing Rhett needed to do and one more person he needed to speak with before he could return to Atlanta and to make amends with his wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I've been abundantly clear in both stories how I feel about Ashley Wilkes. IMHO Ashley was too rich, self-centered, and then broken, to offer a much-deserved apology to Scarlett or Rhett. In this story I wanted Melly's death to cut the last ties he may have had to Scarlett.
> 
> After Ashley rejects her in the library at Twelve Oaks, Scarlett struggles to let Rhett in, but by the end of the novel, she couldn’t deny how she felt. Scarlett didn't allow herself to fall in love with Rhett but she does not seem to understand that it’s something one cannot control. Scarlett did not realize that what Rhett was offering her was what she had craved her entire life. Ashley was part of a fantasy she created at a young age, but Rhett was reality. Sometimes it's easier to live in a fantasy but reality brings us the greatest joy.
> 
> I fully appreciate how controversial/polarizing the last chapter was...
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked, or left a Kudo for this story.


	18. A New Day

It was not the blinding sunlight on his face that stirred Rhett from his sleep the following morning, but an eager Ella who crawled into his arms as he lay in Scarlett's bed. No. Their bed.

"Daddy?" Ella whispered. "Daddy?"

Rhett squinted his eyes painfully and opened them slightly to find Ella's face close to his.

"Good morning, baby," he returned, tightening his grip on her as he shifted his position. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Rhett fully opened his eyes and found Wade a few feet away watching him. The little boy he had first held as a baby was growing into a handsome young man.

Sitting up, Rhett ran his hands through his hair and realized that his body was stiff, and his arm was tingling from the position he had been lying in. God, he was getting old!

He groaned and heard Scarlett's laugh from where she stood in the doorway, clutching her wrapper tightly around her.

"Good morning, Rhett. Wade, Ella, let's allow your father to wake up." Ella climbed out of his arms and ran to her mother.

"Daddy is home!" Ella exclaimed.

Rhett could not hide his smile.

The night before, as soon as Rhett realized that he was nearing the Atlanta depot, his mouth went dry, and his hands were clammy with sweat. His heart beat erratically. He didn't have to get off the train; he didn't have to do this. Rhett almost went into a panic. What would he find upon his return home? An angry wife and heartbroken children? What would he do if his wife used his newly confessed feelings or shocking revelation against him? What if she didn't want him in her life? Could he live without her?

The moment of uncertainty quickly passed and then Rhett stood on the platform looking around at the familiar sights and late-night sounds before hiring a driver to take him to the house on Peachtree Street. Rhett was relieved when his key still worked.

The house was quiet, but within moments, Pork was welcoming him home, and a few minutes later, Ella, followed by a more subdued Wade, shrieked all the way down the stairs and into his arms. Their unwavering love had almost broken him. Rhett was certain that he didn’t deserve them.

Shifting Ella to his left hip, Rhett reached out to place his hand on Wade's shoulder.

"Where's your Mother?" he asked, hoping the boy could not hear the uncertainty in his words.

Rhett was ashamed of himself when he saw Scarlett come down the stairs and throw her arms around him. He had almost thrown it all away.

He was doubly remorseful this morning as Scarlett steered the children out of the room they had tentatively made love in the night before. Calling over her shoulder, "I've had Pork lay out some of your things so you can freshen up before breakfast," she disappeared to ready herself for the day. Laying back against his pillow, still fragrant with the scent of lemon verbena, Rhett felt at peace.

When Rhett emerged from his and Scarlett's room, where he noticed all his things had been moved in his absence, Scarlett was nowhere to be found. His warm homecoming had been a welcome surprise. Scarlett had once again ignored his wishes. She had made her decision in his absence.

"Where's your Mother?" Rhett asked the children, who were both playing in Wade's room.

"At the store with Auntie Carreen," Ella announced, clearly proud that she knew the answer.

"Your mother and Aunt are _both_ at the store?" Rhett looked to Wade for clarification.

"Yes, sir. Aunt Carreen went with Mother to the store one day, and Mother agreed that she can help her manage the store," Wade explained.

Rhett smiled at his grinning son.

By the time breakfast was served, and Rhett listened to their excited, rambling stories, he was fully restored. Wade and Ella chattered endlessly about all that had gone on in his absence. They asked him questions about where he had been, and he told them stories of his travels, embellished, of course.

He had been gone for less than two weeks.

Leaving the children with Prissy, Rhett made his way to Kennedy's, where he watched Scarlett and Carreen work side by side through the windows. The two sisters were laughing and talking when they were not busy with customers. Even poor Hugh seemed to be enjoying himself. Usually, he scattered when Scarlett had gone to see him at the mills. It was a bit of a surprise that his wife had failed to mention Rhett's new hire.

The laughter came to an abrupt end when Rhett reached the counter.

"Good morning, ladies," Rhett said, taking off his hat. "Mrs. Butler."

Scarlett put her pencil down and smiled at him.

"Mr. Butler."

Carreen looked at both her sister and brother-in-law with an odd expression on her face.

"I had breakfast with the children and thought I'd visit my wife. I've brought you a gift, Scarlett."

"Isn't that nice, Scarlett?" Carreen nudged Scarlett.

Scarlett returned his expressionless look and after a moment, Rhett threw his head back and laughed at Scarlett's suppressed excitement.

"Oh, Carreen, your sister's reaction at being presented with gifts is legendary. If I recall correctly when we were on our honeymoon -"

"Rhett, what did you bring me?" Scarlett exclaimed, bringing a smile to her husband's face.

"I was going to surprise you with these tonight but I think -"

Reaching into his jacket pocket, Rhett pulled out two envelopes and placed them on the counter in front of her. Scarlett's smile faltered slightly and Rhett was glad that not everything about her had changed.

"I was recently in Savannah and I saw the house your Grandfather Robillard built for your grandmother. He must have really loved her. It reminds me of our monstrosity."

"Rhett! It's a perfectly lovely house and I simply adore it," Scarlett countered.

"If you say so, Scarlett. You can thank your Uncle Andrew for your gift. This was amongst his papers when he died," Rhett said pointing to the thicker note. He guided the thinner envelope towards Carreen. "This one is actually for you, Carreen."

"For me?" Carreen picked it up, hesitantly scanning its contents. Rhett watched her facial expression change from curiousness to surprise. She looked up suddenly. "How did you manage this?"

Reaching for the paper in her sister's hand, Scarlett read it in surprise. The note simply indicated that the dowry that Carreen had gifted to the church was being returned in full. Scarlett's heart raced at the thought of Tara being restored to its rightful owners. She looked up towards Rhett in amazement. How had he managed it?

"It seems that I can be quite convincing when I want to be," Rhett responded. "The Church, apparently, also frowns upon - - dishonesty. I've been told they are actively searching for a more devout Mother Superior."

"Robert?" Scarlett asked.

Rhett shrugged but the glance they exchanged assured Rhett that Scarlett suspected who the real culprit was. This was not the time or the place to expose Belle's role in convincing Carreen's Mother Superior to make life a living hell for his sister-in-law.

"Scarlett, your letter?" Carreen urged.

Picking up the second envelope, Scarlett pulled out a bundle of papers and unfurled them. Her hand flew to her mouth. She had looked everywhere for this and she finally had what she had long sought: Gerald O'Hara's last will and testament. Her, Suellen and Carreen had searched for it after his death but never found it and all this time, a copy had been with her uncle in Savannah.

It was a good thing there was a chair nearby because she flung herself into it before she finished reading the first page. Scarlett's vision was blurry and her head was dizzy but she could hear her sister's voice:

_I, Gerald O'Hara, leave my plantation Tara located in Clayton County, Georgia, and all my property to my wife, Ellen Robillard O'Hara. Should my wife die, I leave all my property to my daughter Katie Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton._

_Dated 1 July 1861, Tara, Clayton County Georgia._

"Rhett, I don't understand. How did you know to look in Savannah, of all places?" Scarlett asked, clearly shocked.

"I didn't."

"You didn't?"

"No. Actually, your cousin, Father Sean, suggested it when I saw him in Charleston."

"He did?"

Rhett nodded, watching his wife carefully. He winked at Carreen before asking, "Are you already considering how to evict your sister?"

Scarlett's head snapped up. "Rhett, I would never," she exclaimed. "Although, after the way she lords Tara over me it would serve her right."

Rhett laughed and then got serious, "Do you suppose you would consider spending the day with me, Scarlett?”

“Rhett, I have a hectic day ahead of me,” she declared.

“Scarlett, I’m asking for one day with my wife. There is something I want to show you and a few things we need to discuss further."

"Scarlett, I'll mind the store and watch the children when I'm finished here. You need a day of rest," Carreen offered.

Rhett watched the sisters exchange a look he could not quite decipher.

A tiny, silent nod.

“Rhett - - I suppose I could take the day off.” Scarlett smiled coquettishly. "But you must take me home first. I am not dressed properly for an outing with my husband."

* * *

Scarlett looked at herself in the mirror. She was glad she had convinced Rhett to bring her home to change into something more fashionable; she chose a light green frock that brought out the color of her eyes. While she did not want Rhett to think that she was going out of her way to dress for him, Scarlett wanted to feel beautiful, and a small part of her wanted her husband to appreciate her beauty in the way only he could. Passing on the rouge, which she wore only on special occasions, Scarlett admired the simple knot that Prissy had managed with her hair. Within the hour, Scarlett was reaching for the door handle that led onto their patio.

Rhett was standing at the edge of the patio, impeccably dressed. His arms were crossed in front of his chest. Scarlett knew, without question, that his eyes were focused on a point in the yard that she had actively avoided since that tragic day. She didn't often sit outside, at least not during the day. There was no need to.

No matter where she was, she could still hear Bonnie's excited cries, the sounds of pony's hooves, and then a shrill cry that changed her entire life. Scarlett even remembered that she had been combing her hair when it happened. If she closed her eyes, she could still see the flash of blue before the world stopped. And now, her husband stood looking at the very spot where her daughter's life had been cut short.

Just like on the night of Melly's death, Scarlett tentatively made her way towards her husband, but then part way there, she changed her mind. Two chairs were facing the yard, from where she had recently begun to watch her children play. Slowly lowering herself into the chair, Scarlett watched carefully as Rhett turned around and, with his eyes searching her face, drifted towards her. Sitting down beside her, Rhett casually crossed his legs and continued to watch her.

"You look beautiful, Scarlett," Rhett said. For a brief moment, he turned his head back towards the offending spot. "But then again, you always look lovely."

"Thank you, Rhett," she whispered.

It was absurd, but time, Scarlett realized, was marked by before Bonnie's death and after. She watched Rhett turn his head towards her returning his unnerving gaze on her. She was relieved to see a twinkle in his eyes.

“The children seem well.” After last night, this felt like safer territory.

“They are. We all are. When they were babies, Rhett, I was annoyed that I had to care for them. I could barely take care of myself." Scarlett paused briefly and thought she saw something soften in his glare. “I got to know them better when we were at Tara. And now that we're home - - I've been going to the store every day but then I find myself rushing home to talk with them at supper or spend time with them in the evenings. Wade is so much like Melly, Rhett. Quiet, thoughtful, and fiercely loyal. Ella is calmer. I suppose she just needed my undivided attention. Oh, Rhett, I'm enjoying my children."

"I'm happy to hear that. They are incredible children. I missed them."

"They missed you too, Rhett."

"I can't believe that it's been a year." Rhett’s thumb was lightly brushing her knuckles, creating the oddest sensations. She did not move her hand away. "We should go together to see her."

"We should." Scarlett agreed.

Scarlett glanced down at her engagement and wedding rings on her finger and imagined what her hands would look like without them. Since the age of sixteen, there had always been a set of rings on her hand. She was determined that Rhett's would be the last set. With tears forming in her eyes, she looked up from her hands and into his eyes. He was watching her, expectedly, and she realized for the first time exactly what she needed to say.

“You told me once, Rhett, that apologizing is not enough sometimes to right our wrongs, but I hope you'll let me say I'm sorry and I hope that you understand that I mean it.”

The muscles around her heart unclenched. Her shoulders relaxed. Scarlett realized that all the wrongs they had committed against the other couldn’t be righted, hurtful words could not be taken back, and malicious actions could not be reversed. But with this apology, she knew that she could move on. Rhett could move forward as well.

Rhett felt his breath left his lips and discovered that he, too, had been holding his breath.

"Thank you, Scarlett." Rhett stood, offering her his hand. "We should be going."

"Wait, Rhett. There's more I need -"

"Mother! Mother! Where are you going?" Wade rushed outside.

"Rhett won't tell me where he's taking me," Scarlett huffed.

"I promise to return your mother to you by this evening." Turning to her, Rhett held out his arm.

Scarlett did not comment. She didn’t even ask Rhett where he was taking her. She took his offered arm and murmured a quiet ‘Thank you’ when he helped her ascend into their carriage. Settling herself on the plush seat, she allowed herself to be whisked away.

"I wonder if Beau will like London?" Rhett asked as the carriage pulled away from the house.

"How did you know about Beau?"

"Ashley told me before he left that he was taking the boy and moving away. He said something about exorcising his ghosts."

"I'm going to miss him," Scarlett said and quickly added. "I'm speaking about Beau."

"I know that, Scarlett."

"I never got the chance to thank you for buying the mills from Ashley."

"So you took my advice and went to see Henry." Rhett shrugged before adding, "Ashley was going to lose the mills to the bank anyways, and I knew how angry you would be if that happened."

"I'm just not sure if I'll have the time to devote to them though."

"You don't want the mills?" Rhett was stunned.

"Not really, Rhett."

He could hear the hesitation in her voice. "Are you certain? You seem unsure."

"Oh yes Rhett, I'm sure. Perhaps we should sell them." Scarlett sat thoughtfully for a moment. "It's just, well, I have to be honest with you, but when Ashley told me he was leaving, I thought to myself, " `I'm happy he's going away.’ ”

Rhett did not respond, and Scarlett hesitated to continue. There was more she wanted to say but her next words caught Rhett by surprise.

“It looks like Belle has left town as well. Someone mentioned that her place -”

"Scarlett, I don't want to discuss Belle today. All you need to know is that I made sure that she will leave us alone. I have no idea where she is and I don't care what becomes of her."

"What about Dominic?"

"He will be well taken care of, as he always has been but he will not be part of our lives. The boy does not know who his parents are and sees me only as an interested guardian. It's better if we leave it that way. I would never ask you, in this matter, for more than forgiveness for the secret I kept from you."

Scarlett bit her lip, and Rhett knew there was more she wanted to say but mercifully, she didn't.

For the rest of the ride, they sat in silence, both happy to be lost in their own thoughts without the need to make small talk. Scarlett allowed herself to sink into the comfortable upholstery. For once, she was only too happy not to be in control. She took in the scene around her until she realized where they were.

“Rhett, why are we at the train station? I thought we were going to see Bonnie.”

“Scarlett, humor me today. Everything will be revealed to you when we arrive,” Rhett smirked. He placed his hand below her elbow to gently guide her towards the train that was about to depart. "Bonnie would like this."

“Jonesboro? Why are we going to Jonesboro? Rhett, are we going to Tara?” Rhett ignored the alarmed expression on her face.

“We are not going to Tara. Have some patience, Scarlett. All will be revealed. Just try to enjoy the scenery. The children are well cared for in your absence.” And then he said nothing more. She sensed that he was busy thinking and would broker no more questions from her. He was still infuriating.

Scarlett settled herself by the window in the private compartment that Rhett had managed to secure. As the train began to pull away from the station, Scarlett closed her eyes. She now regretted her decision to consent to his request. Jonesboro, to Scarlett, meant Tara, but after her last visit, Scarlett did not feel drawn to it. Maybe one day, the connection would be rekindled.

What Scarlett couldn't say out loud was that Tara no longer felt like her home. Rhett was. She also finally understood what love was. It was quite simply Rhett Butler. Why couldn't she say the words out loud? What was stopping her?

Outside the window, the vista of Atlanta gave way to the Georgia countryside still scarred in places by Sherman’s assault of the city. She turned her head away from the window to look at Rhett. Once again, she found him looking at her. Scarlett pivoted her body towards Rhett, who still sat mutely beside her.

"Are you at all curious as to why I changed my mind about us, Rhett?"

Rhett eyed her in surprise. Scarlett knew that her reaction to his arrival the night before and his welcome presence in her bed had almost come as a shock. She had correctly read the weariness from his travels and had decided that their conversation could be postponed. Now seemed as good a time as any to explain her change of heart.

"I did wonder," he said matter of factly. "I'm delighted, no, relieved that you - -"

“Rhett, you once said that when I was forty-five that I would perhaps have more understanding about my life. Well, I couldn't wait that long so while you were gone I forced myself - - I think I'm just beginning to appreciate what you meant.” Scarlett shifted uncomfortably in her seat before continuing. “Rhett, I wanted another woman's husband. In my childish way, I believed I loved Ashley. How could I do that to Melly, a woman who, until her death, defended each of my indiscretions? My son's aunt. My friend.” She looked away from Rhett's searching gaze. “My God, I did it while married to three different men. I was so cruel and stupid. I kissed Ashley while his wife was upstairs, inconsolable about his return to the front. I kissed him in the orchard at Tara while his wife was in the house, caring for her child and mine.”

While she expected Rhett to make a cutting remark, he instead sat quietly watching her in amazement, and something Scarlett could quite make out.

“The events of the last year have forced me to have to think about the wrongs I committed. Do you know how hard it is, Rhett, to let go of a fantasy? A dream that allows you to face the day, especially one invented in childhood. An illusion that can be more real than one's reality. I suspect I will wonder about why I hung on to those fantasies for so long until my last days. Because that's all it was but I realized something else while you were gone. That while tomorrow is another day, I don't live in tomorrow or yesterday. I just want to be happy and - and I think we can be - - together.”

While Rhett had been away, there had been a lot of time to think when the children and Carreen were asleep and she was alone in her bed. She had replayed those uncomfortable moments of her relationship with Rhett and vowed to let down her guard with him. The old Scarlett would have pushed those uncomfortable thoughts aside but her old self was also desperately lonely and unhappy. Pride would be replaced by honesty and forgiveness would displace blame.

“I was never physically unfaithful to you, Rhett, but I see now that my infidelities hurt you just the same. And I'm sorry - "

"Scarlett, we don't need to -"

"If we are going to make this marriage work, we need to be entirely honest. Rhett, can I ask you something? No lies." Rhett nodded, not sure if once her question had been asked whether he could honor his agreement. "Promise?”

"Yes, my dear."

“Why did you marry me, Rhett? If you knew or suspected that I was in love with someone else, why did you bother? I know you said you loved me - - loved me since the war but I never quite understood it. ”

The only sound for several minutes was the rhythmic rumbling of the train. Scarlett sat quietly, as Rhett turned his head towards the window. When he did not respond immediately or look at her, Scarlett feared that he might not answer or that she had somehow said too much. Was he brooding over her words?

"Before I met you, Scarlett, I’d been on my own for such a long time. I finally had enough financial security that I could go where I wanted, say exactly what I thought, and do what I liked. I had friends but no one who I can honestly say loved me. I wasn't ready to meet you but there you were," Rhett said heavily before pausing, his black eyes finally settling on her. “At first - "he faltered slightly, "my attraction to you was purely physical. The truth is that I wanted you, and I had desired you for far too long. I deluded myself into believing I could mold you into the woman I wanted, but over time you changed. So had I. Somewhere on the road to Tara, the girl I fell in love with was forever altered. I should have never left your side until you were safely back with your family. I lost your trust that night and I did nothing to regain what was lost.”

Scarlett shivered, remembering that horrible night and the equally terrible days that followed.

"You were also a challenge for me, my dear. I took a risk and bet wrongly. I thought that eventually, you would grow out of your obsession with Ashley. But I did very little to make you love me.” Rhett didn’t want to hurt her, but words kept tumbling out. “Scarlett, you chased Ashley from the very first day we met. You brought him into our home. You brought him into our bed. Until Melly died, he was just as much a part of our marriage as you and I were. You can’t have three people in a marriage.”

“I know that now, Rhett." Scarlett nodded her head in agreement, fighting to retain her sense of calm. "You also shouldn't allow four people to be part of a marriage.”

“Four?”

“Four, if you count Belle. I couldn't let Ashley go any more than you could turn your back on her. She gave you what I was unwilling or unable to give you - - and I don't mean a child.”

Scarlett glanced out the window. The sun shone brightly overhead and its glare caused her to squint. When she turned to look at Rhett, he was studying her intently.

“I know, Scarlett, but what she gave me wasn't genuine."

It was going to be now or never that he rectified his wrongdoings. Rhett just hoped that Scarlett would allow him this last confession.

"Maybe I’m the reason we were never happy, Scarlett. Never in my life did I receive my father's approval or his love. I couldn’t allow you to reject me the way he had. I told you several times that I wasn’t a marrying man, but that was only a means to protect myself."

Rhett could see that Scarlett was fighting to stay silent. He lifted his hand to ensure that Scarlett would hear him out.

"I was too angry and hurt and proud to admit that I was falling in love with you, and later, to know that you were falling in love with me. I knew it was happening but I convinced myself that you were incapable of love. I held back too much of myself from you. I should have risked more to make you love me. To show you that I loved you."

Suddenly, like a wave washing away footsteps in the sand, the blankness left his eyes. Scarlett could see it and finally recognized what it meant: the mask that had been his protection from her for so long was gone for good. With a quick intake of breath, she finally realized it for what it was. It was a mask for his insecurities.

“I should have never asked you to be my mistress. Scarlett, you have to know that I never considered that to be an option for us. If at any time in the last thirteen years I made you believe that that was all I wanted from you, then I’m genuinely sorry.”

Scarlett knew that she had been both confused and angry at Rhett for a long time. He should have known and done better, but Rhett was the man he was, and life had not been fair to him. It had shaped him into the sarcastic, unyielding man that he had been during most of their acquaintance.

“I shouldn’t have told you repeatedly that you were selfish or greedy or ruthless. The truth is that I spent too much of our marriage afraid of you and what you would do with the knowledge that I loved you."

The dam had broken, and all the thoughts that had been plaguing him for years tumbled forth. Scarlett didn't interrupt him, although, in the past, she might have. For the first time in her life, she mulled over the idea that she needed to hear what he was saying to her.

"But then how could I expect you to reciprocate feelings that you were completely unaware I had. I couldn’t trust that you wouldn’t destroy me had you known the truth. I realize now that I was wrong to marry you under those circumstances.”

A wave of fear and sadness washed over Scarlett, and her breath caught. Despite having spent the last few months trying to determine where they had gone wrong, the answers were causing a pain she thought she had left behind.

“I was afraid to admit how much I loved you, Scarlett. I accused you of being cruel to those you love, but I also did my share of hurtful and cruel things."

Rhett forced himself to continue looking in his wife’s eyes. If there was to be any peace or closure, they would both need to see the pain they had caused each other.

"I realized in our time apart that I never once apologized for any of the things that I did to you that contributed to the failure of our marriage. I wasn't mature. I was the weak and immature one. I accused you of being arrogant and self-centered, but I was a coward the afternoon I forced you to marry me. You were my best friend, but that person was gone once we returned from our honeymoon."

Throughout their marriage, Scarlett had often wanted to see a shred of emotion in his eyes. Now what she saw frightened and humbled her.

"I was cruel to you after Ashley’s birthday. I ran from you after our night together, and then I insulted you the moment I walked in the door with Bonnie after returning from London. I hid in my room during your convalescence like a coward when my actions killed our baby and almost killed you. I abandoned you when you most needed me."

Scarlett looked at him in shock, forcing herself not to break eye contact with him. She knew she was reacting properly, but her head was too jumbled to take in all his confessions. Scarlett couldn’t process them quickly enough.

Rhett was suddenly tired. For all the history between them, this was, by far, the most honest conversation they had ever had. For once, Scarlett didn't have to guess what he was thinking, and she decided that she needed to be just as candid with him. At one time, he had been her best friend, and she had been able to discuss almost anything with him. She wanted that again.

"Oh, Rhett, it's not entirely your fault. I am ashamed of some of the terrible things I’ve done in my life. I’ve been selfish and brutal, but I don’t know how else to be. I would love to undo some of my mistakes and have a chance to be a better version of myself, but I don’t know that I can at this point. I want to say I wouldn't have chased Ashley and declared my love for him, but I would be lying. Would I have said no to Charles's proposal? God’s nightgown, Rhett! Who are we fooling? I was sixteen. I would likely have made all the same mistakes. Do you know how many times I have asked myself in the last year why I never recognized that you could be in love with me, Rhett? That I was in love with you? I should have realized it, but I didn’t.”

“It would have made all the difference in the world to me, Scarlett.”

“Before Bonnie died?”

“Yes.”

“And now?”

Rhett watched his wife nervously twirl the wedding ring on her finger. He couldn't picture what a happy life with her looked like. Images of what had gone wrong still replayed in his mind. Strangely, he also couldn't imagine a life with anyone else; he had long ago stopped imagining his life with anyone other than the strong, determined woman beside him.

“You could do better than me, Scarlett."

"Perhaps," she admitted, the word catching in her throat, "but there is no one else I will ever love or want but you, Rhett."

Scarlett let out a soft sigh. There would never be another love to equal or surpass the love she felt for Rhett.

“You once accused me of not knowing what love is, Rhett. Do you want to know how I know what love is? Every moment I've spent with you and my children in the last few months has proven to me that love exists.”

"Scarlett, every moment I've spent with you and our children in the last decade, has proven to me that love exists. I've wanted it so badly - "

The words were unspoken, but they both understood that each had been exonerated for their crimes. The truths that they had shared in the last few hours had cemented that absolution.

"Rhett, have we ruined it all with this conversation? I just -"

"Scarlett, this does not change how I feel about you. Does it change how you feel about me?"

"No," Scarlett confessed. "I think I understand you - us - me a little better."

"Then we have nothing to worry about, my dear," he said, taking her trembling hands in his and kissing them reverently while watching her.

Both of them felt the train slowing. When the train pulled into the station at Jonesboro, they both looked out of the window and saw Will Benteen waiting on the platform.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me start by apologizing for the long author's note. 
> 
> How many pages of GWtW are focused on the events following Rhett and Scarlett's wedding? Not enough for my liking! I sometimes think that we didn’t get a real glimpse into the Butler marriage, but in hindsight, we saw too much, and none of it was good. I often wonder at Mitchell’s purpose and choices but am always awed by her genius in crafting a story that is being passed down amongst many subsequent generations.
> 
> This story was based on the notion that you don’t always get a storybook HEA - life is what you make of it, and not everyone's HEA looks the same. I don't like to admit it, but Scarlett could find happiness with another man - a relationship built on love, respect, shared values, a family - not on passion. Instead, I tried to give that to her and Rhett in this story because I will never be able to write that other story. 
> 
> I always pictured an uneventful (well, maybe not so ordinary - it is Scarlett and Rhett we're talking about) reconciliation. I truly believe that Scarlett finally started to mature in that final chapter. For me, Tara is not Scarlett’s home. Rhett is. In the same vein, I feel that Scarlett could be the charm and grace he desires if he had given her the time to mature. However, Rhett is always going to be Rhett, and Scarlett will always be Scarlett, so life would invariably be "exciting."
> 
> Finally, I'm not 100% happy with the second half of this chapter. You have no idea how many rewrites I've done on this section but it still doesn't feel right. Don't fret! This conversation will not derail Scarlett or Rhett or this author. It was meant to act as a final apology/explanation for both Scarlett and Rhett as they move forward. There is one more chapter to go…but first: I have two more works in the early writing stages. A medium-length (yeah, right, you say! ADL was only supposed to be 80 000 words or so) M-rated "what if" story and a (likely) longer "what if"/retelling. Any preferences? (wink wink)
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked, or left a Kudo for this story.


	19. A New Life

If Will was surprised or angry to hear from his brother-in-law so soon after the Butlers' hasty departure only two weeks before, he did not mention it when his wife’s sister and husband descended from the train. Anyone who witnessed the reunion would only mention it at the supper table as a normal occurrence. There was no hint of scandal.

“Scarlett, it’s good to see you,” Will offered, a note of tension still evident in his tone.

“You too, Will.”

Scarlett hoped that in time, her relationship with Will, at least, could be restored. Suellen, on the other hand, was a different story. Judging by how long her sister had stayed angry over the theft of Frank Kennedy, Scarlett imagined a long, rocky road back to a frosty relationship with her sister.

“Will.” Rhett reached forward his hand in greeting. “I’m glad my message reached you in time. How are Suellen and the girls?”

“Rhett, it did. Suellen is still mighty angry but the girls miss their cousins," he sighed. "Let’s get going if you don’t mind."

Very little was said as the trio rode towards Tara. Scarlett, who usually inhaled deeply any time she came close to Tara, instead inched her way closer to her husband who sat beside her.

As they neared the road to Tara, Will slowed the horses and handing the reins over to Rhett, climbed off. He tipped his hat to Rhett and Scarlett before walking toward the house. Without looking back, Will waved his hand above his head.

“I’ll tell Suellen to expect you both later on today. I’m sure she’ll be pleased.”

“When pigs fly,” Scarlett muttered quietly.

Rhett smirked and with a stolen glance her way, Rhett adjusted the reins in his hands. With a subtle movement, the horses leaned into the harness and began to move forward.

“Ha!” After an additional flick of the reins, the horses started trotting.

“I know you’re probably not going to answer me, Rhett, but where are we going?”

“You’ll see when we get there. Scarlett, someday, you are going to have to learn how to have patience.”

"Rhett, you must know how unlikely that is," she teased.

Scarlett felt herself being jostled against Rhett by the motion of the horses. Their shoulders bumped, and Rhett turned towards her in a smile much like the one she remembered from their first meeting. Releasing a sigh of relief, Scarlett acknowledged that despite their conversation coming to an abrupt end with the arrival of the train in Jonesboro, her and Rhett would be fine. If she hadn’t been so lost in her thoughts, Scarlett would have realized sooner where they were going.

“Twelve Oaks? Rhett, why are you taking me to Twelve Oaks?” Scarlett craned her head to look at her husband’s face. He smiled but said nothing as he brought the carriage over the crest.

Scarlett, try as she might, could no longer see the curved driveway that had once led to the Twelve Oaks house, but she could almost remember the smell of crisp pork the morning of that last barbeque. She cringed in remembrance of how much she had once loved Twelve Oaks and blushed at what had transpired the last time she and Rhett had visited.

That varmint! Surely he had not brought her back to Twelve Oaks just to…

As though he was reading her mind, Rhett remarked, "I had something else in mind _today_ , Scarlett."

When Rhett brought the horses to a stop, he secured the reins before stepping down. He offered Scarlett his hand and helped her descend.

“Rhett, I don’t understand. Why have you brought me here?”

As they stood side by side looking at the ruins of Twelve Oaks, Scarlett recalled with clarity the girlish fantasy that one day she would be mistress of Twelve Oaks, greeting guests, raising Ashley’s children and growing old with him. She looked over at Rhett, who was watching her intently. Now she could only picture Rhett in those scenes.

Scarlett looked at the crumbling remains and, in her mind, saw the beautiful facade of the Twelve Oaks of her childhood. The impressive long hallway, the magnificent staircase, the library. She remembered seeing Rhett for the first time standing in the hallway, watching her. The recollection that he had overheard her flirtatious exchange with Charles brought a smile to her face. Standing beside old John Wilkes who she still fondly thought back to though he had been gone all these years. Leaning against a tree listening to the men argue over a war that would ultimately destroy their way of life and kill many of the men present that beautiful spring day. Rhett's long stride away from the men following his candid comments on the lawn. Rhett's amused expression as he made his presence known in the library after her humiliation with Ashley. Those memories, especially of meeting Rhett, were the strongest now.

Rhett took a deep breath, reached for her hand between them, and intertwined his fingers with hers. He gently squeezed her much smaller hand in his. "Your sister and Will have Tara, but I thought we could make this ours,” Rhett explained. A smirk emerged before he continued. “We will certainly need to rename it.”

“Ashley Manor,” she joked quietly. Rhett looked at her and chuckled loudly.

“Something like that,” he quipped, studying her expression.

"Wait a minute, Rhett. You actually bought Twelve Oaks?” Scarlett was flabbergasted. “This is just too odd. What will people say?”

“Scarlett, this is where my life changed forever.” Rhett placed his hand on her small waist and turned her to face him. The sensation of the rough pad of his fingers through the fabric of her dress was electric. “Plus, I believe you once imagined that you would be the mistress of Twelve Oaks.”

“I was sixteen and didn’t know any better. I don’t want that anymore.” She looked away. She didn’t want Rhett to see the tears forming in her eyes. He brought his hand gently under her chin to turn her head towards him.

“I want to have the site cleared, and then I want us to build a house here. No, Scarlett, a home. I want you to picture a deep front porch spanning the entire length of two floors where we can sit, cooling ourselves on a hot Georgia day. I want a lot of windows and a bedroom where we can see the entire property. There will be magnificent gardens full of flowers in the back.” Rhett looked deeply into her eyes, wanting to make sure she was listening to this time. “You are the mistress of any home I live in. I want Wade and Ella and any other children that we may be blessed with to grow up here and, if they want, get married here, too. I want us to grow old here. Will you be happy here, Scarlett? Could you be happy here with me?”

“I never took you as a country gentleman, Rhett Butler,” she mused. “You don't have to do this, Rhett. We don't have to do this.”

“Yes, we do. The emphasis on us." Rhett stared at her. “Wade and Ella, and you are all I have, and I need to start acting like it. They are the mark we will leave behind in this world, Scarlett. They are mine. We made them into who they are. I'll say it again and I'll keep repeating it until the day I die. You are the one great love of my life. I love you, Scarlett Butler,” he said fiercely. “I'm _in_ love with you, Scarlett.”

His hand slipped back around her waist. She molded to his body in a way no other woman ever had. Or ever would.

"You will never regret your decision to give me another chance, Scarlett, never. We have to forgive each other and learn to be happy. We need to stop pretending that we don't love each other. Were you expecting some tragedy to bring us back together, Scarlett? We are not some characters in a novel. We are real people, and we both made so many mistakes. We are not guaranteed a happy ending, so we need to work on making that happen," Rhett asserted.

"I'm not much of a reader, Rhett, you know that." Scarlett fluttered her eyes as she had to enchant her beaux in another life.

"I know my dear," he laughed.

"Here's the thing. I was never going to divorce you in some dramatic fashion or allow you to chase me to the ends of the earth. I've wanted you for so many years. There will be no more husbands for you. If there are going to be any more babies, they will be mine. I have no desire to be married to anyone but you and, to be honest, not even you some days. I'm too old to play games anymore."

Scarlett threw her arms around his neck and felt herself being pulled more deeply into his embrace. Rhett's arms were possessive around her, and she realized that that was precisely what she wanted, to be possessed by him just as she knew he belonged to her. She understood that what she had long felt in his arms was protection and love.

Scarlett surrendered to his kiss, his lips persistent against hers. This is what she had been missing for years. When the kiss ended, she was almost limp in his arms. They were both breathing heavily, but neither said a word. Their eyes did all the talking. Their attempts to hurt each other were not entirely forgotten, but Scarlett knew she had to learn to trust the man in front of her.

Declarations of love and apologies were not enough. Love was created through everyday choices and actions. They had work to do.

“I'm sorry, Scarlett. I’m so very sorry.”

“Me too, Rhett.”

Rhett leaned his head down again and kissed her slowly and shyly. The kiss, as it deepened, calmed her. He pulled away and smiled at her, and she laughed slightly. Leaning his forehead against hers, both of them were somewhat out of breath from their kiss.

"Rhett?" she whispered.

Slightly dizzy from their kiss, Scarlett closed her eyes to try to steady her erratic breathing. She wanted to stay in his arms forever, safe in the knowledge that he loved her, that they loved each other.

"Yes?"

"Let's give Twelve Oaks to Beau when he comes of age or gets married. I don't want to live here, Rhett."

"You don't?"

"No. Do you?"

"Not really."

"I want us to live at Tara."

"Scarlett, I don't mind staying with your sister for a few days, although I'm not sure she would have us to stay with her. I don't want to have to worry about all the noise we are going to make."

"Rhett!" Scarlett exclaimed, slapping his arms. "Will and Suellen won't live at Tara."

"They won't?"

"No. I plan on having the house appraised, and then I will offer one-third of the value to Carreen, and the other third to Suellen and Will."

Rhett laughed loudly, disturbing the silence around them.

"It's only been a few hours and you have this all planned out," Rhett exclaimed, tightening his grip on her waist.

"I had a lot of free time to think, Rhett."

"Evidently." Rhett grinned."Where will Suellen and Will go? And how, my love are you going to convince them to leave?"

"They can build a house where the Slattery's once lived and Will will still have all this land to farm unless you plan on doing so."

Rhett shook his head. "I have no plans, Scarlett, but to make you happy."

"I'm glad you said that Rhett because I'm going to need a fair amount of your money -"

"Our money, Scarlett, and what are you planning to do with our money?" he asked.

"Renovations."

"Renovations? Scarlett, I don't think -"

"Don't sound so doubtful. My tastes have improved with age."

"I will need to approve any plans that you may have for the house first, Scarlett and then I can -"

"Fine but I get to decorate the nursery."

"The nursery?"

"Yes, the nursery. It seems we'll be needing it sooner than later."

Rhett was quiet and Scarlett watched a parade of emotions cross his face.

"Are you happy, Scarlett?"

Scarlett nodded her head vigorously.

"I want this baby. Your baby. Our baby."

Rhett exhaled and watched her closely for a moment before replying, "Me too but maybe I should be in charge of decorating the nursery as well, Scarlett."

“Rhett Butler, we’ll talk about this later. _After all, tomorrow is another day_.”

* * *

* * *

**Epilogue**

**Tara, Clayton County, Georgia**

**June 1887**

Leaning back against his chair, his black eyes scanning the room, the thought entered Rhett’s mind that this day had almost not happened. Actually, this day would have happened, but he would have certainly missed it had fate not intervened. He had often accused Scarlett of throwing away happiness with both hands, but he had nearly done the same thing.

His whole life would have been futile if not for his wife and his children. He had almost walked away from them, and Scarlett had nearly decided that she didn't need him. They had both been wrong.

There had been many dark and meaningless moments in his life but Scarlett had ultimately shown him what was important in life and that everything else meant nothing. The other countless, nameless, meaningless women before that life-altering meeting had been futile and stupid. They would never bring him what Scarlett had brought to his life: happiness, meaning, acceptance, and, most importantly, love.

The money he had amassed from the moment he'd been thrown out of his father's home was meant to show everyone, specifically his father, that the elder Butler had not destroyed his son or won their very public war. Rhett, over the years, had enjoyed watching his wife spend his ill-gotten funds on herself, their children, their home, and this spectacular day. Rhett couldn't resist the women in his life, especially now that he knew he had Scarlett's heart.

The adventures he had experienced as a young, carefree, and reckless bachelor had paled once the children had been old enough for him and Scarlett to leave them behind so they could travel, and he could show her the world. Revisiting places he had long ago explored on his own with his wife had given Rhett a whole new perspective on life and appreciation for all the joys that it held. Seeing the world through Scarlett's had rejuvenated him.

It was bittersweet that the campaign that he had started for the sake of their daughter Bonnie was helping another of his children. His wife, somewhat grudgingly, had also spent years working tirelessly to claim a place amongst Atlanta's old guard. Scarlett had succeeded in ways Rhett could not have foretold. And today, Atlanta's old guard had experienced a wedding like no one had ever seen before. Today was about as close to a perfect day as Rhett could ask for, and it was all because of Scarlett.

Rhett looked around the ballroom of their renovated home. Tara had never looked better, and after many years, he and Scarlett had finally created a warm, welcoming, and loving home. Unlike the Peachtree Street home, there was no thick, red, wall to wall carpeting. The ornately carved walnut furniture and the dark window hangings had been left in their previous home. There were no dark wall coverings or filter mirrors.

Gerald and Ellen O'Hara would have been proud of the home he and Scarlett had built over the years.

The ballroom sparkled with crystal glasses filled with champagne, and people were chatting excitedly in dazzling new gowns and tuxedos. Soft music wafted through the air. In their previous home, no one had used the ballroom. The ballroom at Tara was filled tonight with many of the most important people in his life, minus two: his mother and his Bonnie Blue.

Even in a room full of laughing, happy people, the memories of his baby girl Bonnie came flooding back. A beautiful, precocious girl with a smile that could melt one's heart. His heart had not melted but had been stolen from the moment she had been placed in his arms. It took years after her death to reclaim it. For a time, he had believed that her death had destroyed his heart, but slowly, Scarlett had repaired it, and the girls had almost fully healed him.

Had she lived, Bonnie's wedding would have followed Ella's for today was Ella's wedding day, and Rhett Butler was the lucky man to give her away.

Rhett still struggled to contain the pain that he felt when he thought about Bonnie. Sometimes the pain was acute, and it felt like his heart was being clenched by some unseen hand. Other days the pain was duller. Bonnie would have been seventeen and like her sister, the belle of the ball, and, ultimately, a beautiful young bride.

His mother had passed away five years before without the rift between them being repaired. Rhett had not spoken to his brother or sister-in-law in years.

Rosemary and James, however, were chatting with Carreen and her husband while their children were playing in the nursery.

It had taken Hugh Elsing mere weeks to develop from co-worker to Carreen's fiancee. Rhett could still recall the nervous look on Hugh's face when he asked Scarlett for permission to court Carreen, which Scarlett quickly gave. Carreen and Hugh were married by the fall, and in the early summer welcomed their first child, a little boy named Brent Gerald. Bonnie Ellen Elsing arrived a little over a year later. While Hugh Elsing would not have been Scarlett's initial choice for a brother-in-law, both him and Scarlett were happy for Carreen.

Rhett lit a cigar and inhaled deeply. He had almost missed this.

He hoped that Ella's marriage was perfect. His was anything but flawless. Both he and Scarlett were passionate and stubborn fools. The first few years of their marriage had nearly destroyed them, but they were finally genuinely happy. It had taken time, but they had survived.

They still fought, but Rhett smiled as he remembered that Scarlett rarely ever threw things at him anymore. She forced him to stay, and they seldom, if ever, left a room angry with each other, and they never went to sleep without solving their problems. They asked questions, and they listened to each other. It had taken time, and hard work, but their marriage had been worth it.

Over the years, Scarlett had shared most of her deepest thoughts with Rhett, and tonight he knew everything there was to know about her. He knew the worst about her but his love for her had never diminished.

Looking around the room at the guests, Rhett suddenly felt emotionally exhausted. This had been a perfect but exhausting day. Some memories refused to stay buried. He knew he should probably seek out his wife and make the rounds greeting guests, but he felt paralyzed.

There was little doubt that Scarlett was somewhere in the room greeting and flirting with her guests, complimenting their wives' gowns, ensuring that everyone was having a good time and that this day would be talked about for years or at least until the next time the Butler's hosted a wedding. Rhett felt the seventeen-year age difference more now than at any other time since he'd meet her.

Rhett looked around the room until his breath caught as he made contact with those stunning green orbs that had bewitched him the day of a long-ago barbeque and countless days and sultry nights since. Scarlett smiled at him, and Rhett wondered how he had ever imagined that his love had died or that she could be in love with anyone else. He had never seen her look at any man the way she was looking at him, especially tonight. Rhett smiled at her and thought about how beautiful she still was. Scarlett was by far the most beautiful woman in the room. Her waist was still tiny, and her figure still flattering after each of her pregnancies.

As he thought about it, Rhett wondered if he would change anything about his life. That day in the library of Twelve Oaks had altered the very course of it. Meeting Scarlett had eventually anchored and changed him. He should have proposed then and there and convinced Scarlett to marry him. Rhett should have told her he loved her despite the paralyzing fear of rejection.

But then things would have been so different. His son Wade wouldn't be here. In the intervening years, he and Scarlett had done everything to raise their children in a different way than they had grown up. None of their children were spoiled or ignorant of the world.

Rhett chuckled as his gaze landed on the boy. Scarlett had told Rhett years before that it was his responsibility to handle Wade's transition into manhood, but if he took their son to a whorehouse and she found out about it, she would deal with him. Rhett knew that Scarlett was serious. However, because it was Wade, his wife had little to worry about. In his twenties, Wade was a Harvard educated lawyer like his Uncle Henry and was married to a lovely woman from one of Charleston's finest families.

Rhett still regretted not helping Scarlett to get the money she needed to pay for the taxes at Tara, but then she wouldn't have remarried, and his daughter Ella wouldn't be here. Rhett wanted to change everything and nothing. He and Scarlett had caused each other so much pain, but here they were indestructible and happy — a single unit. The Butlers had gone from scandalous to respectable. Most of the time, that was true.

He would certainly tell his younger self, however, to love Scarlett openly. She was unlike any woman he had ever met in his life. Everything that people criticized her for, including her independence, her stubbornness, and her determination, were the very things he loved most about her. Her 'faults' simply disguised how much Scarlett cared about the people that she loved.

Rhett watched Scarlett sip her champagne as she stood talking to Ashley's new wife. He vividly remembered his wife during their honeymoon and the champagne that had made her tipsy and allowed her to drop any inhibitions. He should have taken greater advantage of those moments.

It had been a decade since he had last laid eyes on Ashley Wilkes. Rhett was well aware of but unbothered by the irregular correspondence between his wife and Wilkes. Scarlett dutifully wrote weekly letters to her nephew. Beau's letters were full of ramblings about his friends, his school, and his new life. He asked about Melly quite often and Rhett suspected that the boy looked to his aunt to help him remember his mother.

Ashley would never be a close friend. They spoke when necessary, but they would never be friends. Too much had happened for that, but Rhett felt no jealousy as he watched his wife stand there talking to Ashley and laughing with the new wife.

Seeing Ashley Wilkes in his home, while uncomfortable, made Rhett think of Melanie, who he still thought of often with sadness. He also wished that Henry Hamilton was around to thank him, for Rhett's presence at this event was partly because of Henry. Pitty would have loved the festivities as well. Rhett missed Henry and Pitty in a way he had never thought possible.

Pitty passed away shortly after his reconciliation with Scarlett. Henry retired shortly after that, and both he and India decided to join Ashley in London. India even found a nice man and was married the following year. Rhett could still vividly recall the day news of Henry's death reached Tara. He had been genuinely sorry and had mourned Henry deeply.

Watching Scarlett, Rhett appreciated how relaxed she looked. Their daughter was newly married, and he felt slightly ill at the prospect. Scarlett had learned to hide her emotions well. Being married to him had probably helped. His many faces of indifference had been great examples for her.

Maybe it was his destiny to have daughters. Tonight was not the first time he wished he had behaved himself a little more as a young man. Now that he had daughters, he regretted some of his interactions with the fairer sex.

Melanie Carreen and Rosemary Ellen, at eight and six years of age, were in the nursery with their cousins, but already Rhett could see flashes of their mother in the pouting insistence that they wanted to attend Ella's wedding ball. Thank goodness he had Wade and two-year-old Henry Gerald to balance all the women in his life.

Those flashes always made Rhett think of the woman who could have offered him some much-needed assistance and insight: Mammy.

Mammy had passed away almost two years after his return. Rhett was fully aware of Scarlett's feelings on that matter. He was the only one who knew that his wife had felt like she was a disappointment to everyone: their children, her parents, her sister, but especially Mammy. Scarlett harbored the thought that Mammy went home to Tara after Bonnie's funeral because she was disappointed in her. Only Rhett knew the truth. Mammy had taken Bonnie's death as personally as he had. She went home to die, thinking she had failed in her duty to protect her family.

Mammy would have loved the girls and Henry.

Rhett shifted his gaze until he saw his daughter. Ella had grown into her beauty and was a stunningly attractive young woman, just like her mother. He thought about Frank Kennedy and silently thanked him for Ella. Poor Frank had hardly spent any time with Ella before his death. Frank's loss had been Rhett's gain. Ella had been his child even when still growing in her mother's womb, placed there by another man. Rhett had pretended it was his child growing in Scarlett from the moment he had become aware of her existence. Ella was his.

Rhett watched his daughter dance with her new husband. Her smile was radiant, her eyes twinkled, and there was not a concern in her mind.

He had known Ella her entire life, and he had been there for nearly every milestone. Now his little girl was a woman who belonged to another man. He did not know how he could do this two more times. Ella was no longer a little girl. Today she was a bride, and soon she would be a mother. He would be a grandfather soon.

Rhett remembered holding Ella for the first time on Pitty's porch and instantly falling in love because she was Scarlett's. Now he knew he had fallen in love because she would become his little girl.

Rhett thought about the little girl who constantly talked and couldn't stay on any one topic as a child. Today she was so poised and mature. The little girl who had sat in his lap, climbed into his arms, fallen asleep with her head on his chest, who had run to him when she hurt herself, would now find comfort with another man.

When Ella was old enough to understand her body, Scarlett made sure to tell her everything she would know and told her not to listen to anyone who told her about marital rights. It almost cost Scarlett her marriage, and she refused to hurt Ella with lies. Scarlett encouraged Ella to act like a lady but never hide behind a man. Stealing another woman's beau was also a necessary lesson.

Then Ella and her new husband, Raoul Picard, were in front of him.

"Thank you, Papa, for everything. This was such a perfect day."

Today's memory of giving her away to her new husband was still so fresh that Rhett could only smile and found that he could not say more than "I love you, Ella."

She took his hand in hers and shifted on her toes to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I love you too, Papa."

The room fell silent, and Scarlett was beside him, tucking her arm around his.

Rhett raised his glass and looked around the room to the many faces of people he had never thought he could call his friends.

"To my beautiful Ella and her husband, Raoul." He looked briefly down at his wife before continuing. "Just make sure you do the opposite of everything your mother and I did when you were little, and you will be fine, my beautiful girl."

"Rhett Butler, you are a scoundrel," Scarlett joked loudly.

The room broke out in laughter and applause.

And then Ella was gone, whisked away once again onto the dance floor by her new husband. Rhett would not be responsible for his actions if anyone ever hurt his little girl. Raoul was a good man, and Rhett had no worries. Ella had chosen well.

But with her went a piece of his heart. Another piece was gone. He would lose a little more when his youngest daughters were married.

Scarlett handed him a pouch that had been hidden in her hands.

"What's this?" Rhett asked, examining it.

"A hundred and fifty dollars," Scarlett smiled as he shook the pouch. "but not in gold."

His laughter filled the room, and several eyes turned towards them.

"I'd like to bid to dance with my husband. Do you think it'll be enough, or will someone bid more for the scoundrel?"

"I think you're safe," Rhett replied. "I can use this to replenish our bank account, Mrs. Butler."

"We do have two more daughters to marry off," Scarlett teased.

When his wife was finally in his arms, Rhett saw that her eyes held tears. Scarlett was still the beautiful southern belle he had fallen in love with so many years ago.

"Are you happy, my dear?"

"I am," Scarlett said honestly. "I love you, Rhett."

"I love you, Scarlett."

Rhett finally realized how blessed he was. Ella had begun a new chapter in her life today, and Rhett hoped that her story would be happier and less complicated than that of him and Scarlett.

Theirs was a story of reconciliation; it was the story of deathless love, the kind that never wears out.

**~The End~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some readers will recall reading another version of the epilogue last year. What began as a one-shot inspired by a late-night viewing of the movie Father of the Bride, was revised last August to become the epilogue of "A Deathless Love." I pulled it off this site and filed it away for future use. I want to extend my thanks to all the original reviewers of that version.
> 
> For many of us, our hearts and head conflict when it comes to these two characters and their ultimate ending. Until the very last line of my story, I contemplated their fate. In the end, my gut and heart decided. Sometimes, that's all we have.
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers out there, as well as everyone who has reviewed, bookmarked, or left a Kudo for this story.


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